All the Right Wrongs
by dreamonloves
Summary: "You are just too much for me, Riley." There are many paths life can take. This is only one of them. Disclaimer: I do not own Girl Meets World or any of the stories or songs mentioned. SLOW UPDATES.
1. Colors

**A/N: Hello! And welcome to** ** _All the Right Wrongs!_** **Before I begin this story, I have some information about what to expect.**

 **1) I started this story to address the issue of the fandom fights in which viewers debate which ship is endgame. The truth is that none of us know, and we should respect each other. Therefore, I will use unconventional, not extremely popular couples. These ships are Markle, Lucadora, and Ziley.**

 **2) Because I myself do not adamantly support these couples, I may write awkwardly and unconvincingly. I will not be offended if you unfollow, not that my permission will stop you from doing so xD**

 **3) Again, this story will be difficult for me to write, so expect slow updates!**

 **4) Not only will there be slow updates, this story will slowly build because I plan to start from the quote in the summary, meaning I'm going to go through how Maya, Riley, and Lucas move on from each other, and how each ship forms.**

 **Cross your fingers with me that this will go well!**

Chapter One: Colors

 _Now I'm colored in the colors, pulled apart at the seams._

"You are just _too_ much for me, Riley."

Lucas saw black. Bitterness, anger, but most of all, fear rose inside of him. The fear only enhanced all three of these emotions, and he ran off to avoid seeing everyone's reactions.

Maya saw red. Red when that sentence slipped from his tongue, red when he faltered, red when he left. She was livid because how _dare_ he talk to Riley that way? She knew Riley shouldn't have been so naive and believed those seniors, but that's just who she was. It's what made her Riley.

But although Maya was pissed at Lucas for his outburst, she still loved him. He only wanted what was best for everyone, and he was only furious because no one trusted him when he obviously earned their trust. Maya tried to find the right words to comfort Riley while also defending Lucas, but when she turned to her, the words disappeared.

Riley saw blue. The memories of her first kiss, her first date, her first crush, her first _love_ suddenly depressed her. Her prince no longer viewed her as his princess, and she didn't know how to handle that realization other than to cry.

Farkle saw gray. When had their friendship become so messed up? The Core Four that became the High Five then the Super Six were supposed to be indestructible. But one sentence with sharp enough diction had the power to dissolve any bond. Farkle felt so disappointed and empty and lost.

Smackle saw brown. She wasn't sure what the appropriate response was to the situation at hand. Defend Riley? Comfort her? Go after Lucas?

Zay saw yellow. He was sick of the triangle, the tension, the group's tentative conversations. He loved these people because of their natural connection, but these days, it just seemed forced.

Maya was the first to move. She placed one hand on Riley's shoulder and the other on her arm. "Riles?"

"I'm okay," she replied softly. "I'm okay," she repeated, then sobbed. Maya held her as tears streamed down her face, and as Riley's body shook, Maya decided to chase Lucas and give him a piece of her mind. She locked her gaze on Farkle and told him to stay with Riley. He nodded in understanding because he knew Maya would only do what's best for her best friend and that she would never hurt Lucas. Then off she went.

"Huckleberry?" Maya called out. "Ranger Rick? Sundance? Bucky McBoingBoing?"

"Leave me alone, Maya," she heard him say to her left. She whipped her head around and found him on the floor with his arms wrapped around his knees. All of her resolve to yell at him vanished. She sat next to him and asked, "So what was that back there?"

Lucas rubbed his face. "I don't know," he admitted. "I just snapped I guess."

"Look, I'm not saying it doesn't happen, because I know it does, but you usually don't lose it with us."

He sighed. "Can I be honest with you?"

Maya leaned her head against the lockers and said, "Of course."

"I can't deal with what we have anymore."

"Oh...," Maya said, biting back her disappointment. "Then why did you get mad at Riley?"

Lucas turned to Maya with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"If you picked Riley-"

He snorted bitterly. "I didn't choose her. I meant that I'm tired of having this triangle thing lingering in the back of our minds. Listen, I care about you both a lot, but that's _why_ I'm suffering. I feel like I'm leading you on, so I have to try to be extra nice to make up for the pain I'm causing."

Maya hummed her understanding. "So you're saying you really want to stop this time."

Lucas ran a hand through his hair and exhaled slowly. "Yeah."

"Okay," Maya said.

"Okay?"

"Okay. We can talk about this with Riley after school, but for now, let's go to class, yeah? We don't want to get suspended on our first day of high school."

Lucas chuckled. "True," he said and stood up, offering his hand to her. "Let's go."

As they went to their classroom, the pair of friends saw pink, putting deliberate distance between them.


	2. Let It Go

**A/N: These chapters will be short until I get the hang of this LOL I have to keep rewriting because I'm so tempted to go full-on Lucaya with this xD**

Chapter Two: Let It Go

 _Trying to fit your hand inside mine when we know it just don't belong._

Riley settled on her hands as she fidgeted in her seat. She, Maya, and Lucas avoided looking at each other as they sat at the Bay Window. The last time they were like this was the end of eighth grade except this time, their arms weren't touching. Riley could feel the end approaching, and she wasn't ready for that.

"So...," she said in an attempt to break the tension. "What's up?"

"Not much," Lucas answered, bowing his head. Now that the moment arrived, he wasn't sure he could do it. "Not much."

Maya sighed at Lucas' dismissal and finally looked at Riley. "Pumpkin?"

Riley turned, folding her hands on her lap. "Yes?"

"Lucas and I spoke, and we have a proposition for you." Maya was mindful not to say _we._

Riley pursed her lips. "You guys spoke without me around? she asked and giggled nervously. "I thought we were supposed to do everything together."

"Well, that's what Lucas and I want to talk to you about."

Lucas mustered up the courage to acknowledge that he had to say something because this was originally his wish after all. "You see, Riley, I just don't know how much more of this we can handle."

"What do you mean?" Riley asked a tad too loudly. She didn't want Lucas to choose between the two girls. As awful as the triangle was, she felt terrified of losing him. He liked her first, but if he also liked Maya, didn't that mean he was moving on from her? Riley loved her best friend, but she loved Lucas, too.

"Lucas and I want to stop," Maya replied. "Like, actually stop." Riley frantic only reinforced the need to end this conflict that lasted for more than a half year.

"What's wrong with what we have?" Riley hoped that if she denied the problem, it wouldn't exist.

"Riley," Lucas said gently. He didn't want to break the fragile girl whom he adored. "You saw me earlier. Although I'm very sorry for what I said and did, with the stress from the situation we're in, it's bound to happen again."

"And I don't mind that," Riley insisted. The horizon of reality was fast-approaching, and she felt overwhelmed from how utterly unprepared she was.

"Riles...," Maya said. She noticed Riley drawing into herself, so she tried to speak softy yet vehemently. "You cried when he left."

And Riley began to cry now. "I ju-just don't want to lo-lose you," she said, directing this at Lucas. He scooted closer, wrapped her in his arms, and said, "You'll never lose me, Riley. I'm sorry for all that I've done to make you doubt that."

Riley looked up at Lucas whose eyes sparkled with sincerity. She was always quick at forgiving. "It's okay," she said, then noticed Maya watching from a distance. "Peaches, get in here."

Maya shook her head with a small smile. Although it pained her that Lucas wasn't holding her, she knew eventually she wouldn't mind. "This is a you and Lucas thing. No more triangle, Pumpkin, but I promise it will be okay."

"No evening it out?" Riley couldn't help but feel a little happy that she had something just for her and Lucas.

"No evening it out," Maya assured.

Riley squirmed out of Lucas' grasp and jumped into Maya's arms.

"Pumpkin and Peaches forever!" she exclaimed because she never feared losing her best friend.

Lucas grinned as he watched the two girls he fell in love with laugh and hug each other. One day, if only one were to move on, maybe he would end up with the other. Or maybe one day, they would all find someone else. Either way, he would still love them the same.


	3. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me

**A/N: This story is such a struggle, but I love it.**

 **P.S. I'm so excited for "Girl Meets Triangle" and _Adventures in Babysitting!_**

Chapter Three: You Don't Have To Say You Love Me

 _I can't help but love you. But believe me, I'll never tie you down._

Riley and Maya stood by the lockers, talking animatedly about whose celebrity crush was better: Riley's Chris Evans or Maya's Chris Hemsworth. Students constantly glanced at the best friends because just yesterday it seemed they were fighting over their charming friend and not hot male celebs.

Although this was true, Maya and Riley were quick to move on once they came up with a solution to their problem. They simply became entrenched in a friendly teen girl argument.

"Chris Evans is funny and sweet," Riley said, admiring the poster of him next to her small mirror.

With a French manicured nail, Maya pointed at the poster of the other Chris on her locker door. "And Chris Hemsworth has buff arms and a sexy accent."

Lucas approached them then, and Maya demanded, "Huckleberry, which guy is hotter: Chris Evans or Chris Hemsworth?"

"Uh...," Lucas said, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Was this their new relationship? "Why should I answer this?"

"Because," Riley said. "As someone who's now supposed to be just our friend, we can ask who you think is cuter."

"Um, okay... Chris Hemsworth?"

"Dang it!" Riley exclaimed, stomping her foot.

Lucas felt petrified, completely unsure of how he was supposed to act now. "Was that the wrong response?"

"No, that was the best response," Maya said with a smirk. "Now for point number two: what's your reason, Sundance?"

"Because of his muscles?"

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" Maya jumped while Riley shook her head and said, "You guys are so shallow."

"I thought that's what girls go for!" Lucas complained and realized her point when that sentence came out of his mouth. He didn't seem to be thinking much these days.

Maya laughed. "Is that why you work out so much, Ranger Rick?"

"No." He was telling the truth, but he blushed, so obviously it appeared otherwise. Maya and Riley burst out laughing when Zay stumbled into Lucas. He yelled, "Maybe next time?" Then he turned to face the trio and scrutinized their body language. "Why can I breathe?"

"Well you see, Zay," Smackle said, approaching the group with her arm looped through Farkle's. "There are these molecules called oxygen that are released in the air by plants, and-"

"I know what I'm inhaling, sugar," Zay interrupted. "What I mean is - Farkle, do you feel that?"

The genius boy furrowed his brow. "Feel what?"

"Exactly. There's no tension," Zay said, then turned to the trio again. "What happened with y'all?"

"Well, we spoke after school yesterday," Lucas began.

"And we decided," Maya continued.

"That we should stop," Riley finished.

"Oh good," Farkle said with a sigh of relief.

"Yes, that is good," Smackle agreed. "I do not wish for this school year to start so awfully."

"Hold up," Zay said. "Y'all said you would stop before, but you didn't. What makes you think this time will be different?"

"Texas Lucas came back yesterday," Lucas muttered. He hated remembering how he acted when he got pissed.

"And we saw how toxic the triangle was to our friendship," Riley said.

"I saw Riley cry, and as her best friend, I don't want that to ever happen again," Maya added. "I don't want _any_ of us to go through that again."

Zay eyed them warily, then faced the intelligent couple. "Do you believe them? It's hard to tell when they talk with the same brain."

"Of course I do," Farkle said. "I've known Maya and Riley since the first grade; I know when they lie."

"And I believe in Farkle," Smackle said. "If he believes in them, so do I."

Zay shrugged. "Well, I guess there's nothing left to say."

"Good. Now that that's over with," Maya said, and her smirk returned. "Who's hotter: Chris Evans or Chris Hemsworth?"

"Chris Evans," Zay replied easily. "Dude looks like he's having the time of his life, which is attractive in my opinion."

Riley got close to Maya and said, "In your face, Peaches!"

"What about you guys?" Maya asked the genius couple, ignoring Riley's taunt.

"Who are they?" Smackle responded at the same time Farkle said, "Is Chris Evans Thor?"

Riley hugged them consolingly while Maya slapped her forehead with a half-teasing sigh and mumbled, "Oh, you poor uncultured heathens."

"You're tied," Lucas pointed out with a chuckle. "What are you going to do?"

Riley pulled on Maya's arm and yelled, "Let's find more people to ask!"

Maya laughed and gestured to a group of juniors, and the best friends ran off. Lucas watched them fondly, not realizing that Zay studied him as he became lost in thought. Zay said, "Can I trust you, Luke?" He was most worried about the boy torn between two girls.

Lucas glanced at him with a sad smile. "You can trust me," he answered quietly.

Zay revised his question. "Are you okay?"

Lucas pursed his lips contemplatively. "I'm better than I was yesterday," he replied honestly. "And one day...I'll be happy."

His mood dismayed his best friend, so Zay put his arm around Lucas and said, "I'm with you every step of the way, buddy."

"I know," Lucas said, giving Zay a noogie.

"Man," Zay complained, swatting Lucas' hand away. "Don't go Princess Leia and Han Solo on me."

Lucas laughed. "I love you, too, man."

Zay stuck his tongue out. "I know."

. . .

During history, Mr. Matthews immediately noticed the calm, ebullient atmosphere among the six friends. They spoke without inhibitions as they waited for the bell to ring even though he swore just yesterday they were at each other's throats. Now they seemed like they could get in a group hug at any moment. Was this struggle so short-lived? Mr. Matthews didn't mind; in fact, he welcomed it, but it was rather unnerving. He knew these people like the back of his hand, and they could change their minds when he least expected it. With that thought, his lesson plan changed.

He began as soon as the bell rang. "The Era of Good Feelings. Anyone know what that is?"

"It was similar to the Gilded Age," Smackle replied.

Her teacher smiled, but he wasn't completely satisfied. "Meaning?"

"The U. S. appeared united and prosperous," Farkle clarified. "But in the Gilded Age, the government and industries hid their corruption, and in the Era of Good Feelings, the Federalist party fell."

Mr. Matthews' pride started to show. "Why would the end of the Federalist party make the U. S. seem prosperous?"

"Because there ain't any fightin' between two big enemies," Zay concluded. "The country could progress."

Mr. Matthews nodded and faced his daughter solemnly. "So which is it? The Gilded Age or the Era of Good Feelings?"

Riley's brow furrowed, and she tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Is the triangle really over?" her father asked bluntly.

Riley grinned. "Yep. We talked it through."

Mr. Matthews sat on his desk, attempting to stay his daughter's teacher rather than father. "So is it the Gilded Age or the Era of Good Feelings?" he repeated.

"Personally, I think it's the Gilded Age," Zay commented.

"For the last time, Zay," Lucas sighed. "We're not lying."

"It's not the Era of Good Feelings either," Riley confirmed. "No one in the triangle became a couple."

"Are you sure?" Mr. Matthews asked a bit too happily. He wasn't nearly ready enough to see his two daughters have boyfriends.

"Positive, Matthews," Maya responded.

"Which would you have preferred?" Smackle inquired. It wasn't an entirely rude question, but Lucas, Maya, and Riley still glared at her in warning. No one, especially them, wanted to deal with the mess anymore.

"Yeah, I'd like to know that myself," Zay said, and Lucas hit his elbow, looking as though he could kill his best friend. Zay shrugged while rubbing the bruise because although he was almost as glad as Lucas that the fiasco was over, he was also an ignorant, curious soul.

"Neither," Mr. Matthews admitted. "Both have repercussions that we're all well aware of."

"Which are?" Maya asked, leaning forward on her arms. She wondered if others thought about the situation the way she did.

"Well, Maya, how did you feel when you were hiding your crush?"

Maya bit her lip but responded easily because there wasn't any secret left to keep. "Like at any moment, I could explode. It was like the more I kept my feelings bottled up, the more attracted I became to Lucas, which make me feel guiltier about Riley."

"I assumed that. Because when you stubbornly neglect or try to control your emotions," Mr. Matthews spoke emphatically to the class, "you overthink your feelings and allow them to grow despite your intentions. And that makes handling them even more difficult." After he took a deep breath and a quick glance at each student, he faced his daughter. "Riley, how did you feel when you took a step back and let Maya and Lucas get together?"

Riley's lip quivered, but she pushed on. "Like my whole world was crumbling before my eyes. I knew I should have been happy for Maya because she could finally get the guy she deserved, but I wanted him, too. I haven't made many mistakes in my life, and every time I did, I learned from them, so I also deserve a happy ending, and I wanted it with Lucas."

Everyone stole glances at the unfortunate teen, but he simply stared at the two girls. He caused them so much pain, yet they professed their pure love for him, and all he could think was that they did deserve happy endings, but he just couldn't provide them.

Maya took away the fist she had over her mouth and said, "Pumpkin, I'm sorry that you felt you couldn't tell me the truth."

Riley turned around when Maya called her, and now she placed her hand on her best friend's. Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she said, "And I'm sorry that I couldn't see how much you were hurting."

Finally Lucas turned away, but he still wanted to apologize to them. He tore them apart, put their friendship to the test with their stupid predicament. He dragged them along with his fickle confusion and made them believe they were both worthy and unworthy at the same time. He did so much to their relationship and confidence that sometimes, like now, he wished he just stayed in Texas.

. . .

After school, the gang went to Topanga's, and instead of squishing themselves on to two chairs, Riley and Maya sat next to each other while Lucas grabbed a seat by Zay. Naturally, Farkle and Smackle sat next to each other to the right of Maya.

Maya drank her raspberry smoothie and bit the straw. "Ugh, why is there such thing as homework?"

"Because, Peaches," Riley said, typing on her laptop. "The school day isn't long enough to review everything."

Maya slammed her smoothie on the table in front of her, but she didn't seem apologetic for her outburst. "You think school should last longer?!"

"Who wouldn't want that?" Farkle said, and opened his notebook.

"I would very much like that," Smackle agreed, looking at the chemistry notes with her boyfriend. "I could lengthen my educational journey from the minuscule eight hours."

"That's because you guys finish your homework in an hour," Maya muttered, but didn't argue further.

Zay balanced his pencil on his nose, neglecting the papers in front of him. "You could, too, if you wanted."

"I'm too stupid for that," Maya said without any intention to insult herself. Still, her best friend said, "You're not stupid; you just want people to think that."

Maya brought her index finger to her lips. "Sshh."

"I could help you if you want," Lucas offered, closing his textbook. "I'm not as smart as Farkle or Smackle, but I can be a pretty good tutor."

"Whoa, man," Zay said, and dropped the pencil into his hand to look at the boy to his right. "Are you asking her out on a date?"

"No!" Lucas exclaimed indignantly. "I'm offering as a friend."

Maya glanced at Riley (who pursed her lips in slight trepidation), then at the rest of her friends before saying, "But if it makes you guys feel uncomfortable, I'll get the geniuses to help."

"That's fine with me," Farkle said, not that anyone doubted he would. "Just know that Smackle and I plan to sign up for STEM club, debate, and yearbook."

"Dearest," Smackle said. "I also wish to join the girl's tennis team." Despite the common belief that she was all brains and no brawn, Smackle could dominate in tennis.

"That's okay with me," Farkle said, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend. "I'll cheer you on in every game."

"We all will," Riley added with a grin. "No matter what, we'll be there."

"Unless I'm failing a class," Maya said and meant it. This year, she planned on getting good grades, and once Maya Hart has her mind on something, she will stop at nothing to achieve it.

"I am happy that you take your education seriously," Smackle said, and Maya smiled at the fact that the intelligent girl knew she wasn't joking.

"Wow, what happened to Rebel Hart?" Lucas teased. "What's made you so eager about school?" That question was genuine.

"Well...I learned that time is tricky," Maya responded, swirling her straw around with her finger. "I may live up to ninety years, and that seems like a long time, but as each day passes, I realize how short that is." She looks up from her cup to Lucas. "I believe in our friendship, but I know that forever lasts only until we die, so I want to spend every single second with you all," she said, facing each individual in the circle before bringing her gaze back to Lucas. "I believe you guys have the potential for greatness, and the only way to stay with you is by being great myself."

"But you're already amazing," Lucas emphasized. "You're funny, caring, and selfless. Let's not forget you're a great artist, Maya."

They stared into each other's eyes, lightning blue meeting sea foam green, only one feeling inside that somehow felt like a million, when Maya realized what was happening. She couldn't keep having moments with Lucas because that would make moving on harder and her friends more wary and irritated. So she stood up as nonchalantly as she could with her empty cup and said, "I'm glad you think that, Huckleberry, but knowledge is still important." With that, she went to the register as her mother wiped the counter, handing the cup back.

"Oh, Babygirl," Ms. Hart said. "You didn't have to bring this; I could have gotten it for you."

"I know, Mom," Maya said, and leaned forward as if defeated. "I just needed to get away for a little. Besides, you work too hard."

"I'm all right," her mother said, but she stopped cleaning and looked at her daughter concernedly. "What did you need to get away from?"

Maya traced her finger along the counter, noting the lack of dust. "You know how I said the triangle was over?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Well...it's still kind of there."

"Oh, I'm sure it is."

"Mom. Not helping."

Ms. Hart laughed. "What I meant is that it's only been a day. Of course you still like each other in that way, and it's going to be weird for a little longer, but I promise you, Babygirl," she said, and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind Maya's ear. "You will move on. You won't be in an endless loop of finding a solution and not sticking to it."

Then the bell above the door rang, and Ms. Hart checked to see if someone came in. "I have a customer to tend to," she informed and looked back at her daughter. "Will you be okay?"

Maya nodded and smiled. "Of course I will be. After all, I'm a Hart."

Her mother kissed her forehead and left, and as Maya stared at the chalkboard with a single sentence repeating in her head, someone approached.

"What are you thinking about?" Farkle asked.

Maya turned to her right without any shock and answered, "Nothing much."

"Maya, I know when you're thinking about something really important, and your denial only makes me worry more."

"Seriously, Farkle. It's nothing."

He frowned. "Maya. Please no more secrets. None of us want to go through the lying again."

She pursed her lips, and her gaze fell down. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

Maya looked back at Farkle abruptly, which made him expect a harsh backlash, but she whispered sadly, "Because it has to do with the triangle."

Farkle appeared unfazed. "What about it?"

Maya sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Do you remember what we talked about in Matthews' class?"

Farkle scoffed and replied, "Of course."

"I was the Gilded Age, and Riley was the Era of Good Feelings."

"So?" Farkle asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"So that's the issue!" Maya clarified, oddly excited about a dreadful situation. "We couldn't solve the triangle because we're supposed to combine the two techniques!"

"Okay...," Farkle said uncertainly, because he still wasn't sure where she was going with this. "What's your plan?"

"I need to move on as quickly as possible so that Riley and Lucas get together because I don't want to lie either, Farkle. But I may have to for the time being."

"Easier said than done, Maya."

"I know. Believe me, I know. But I'm willing to give it all I've got. I don't have any _what-ifs_ lingering in my mind anymore, and Riley is much more sentimental than me."

Farkle puffed his cheeks out, debating whether he should argue. "Will you be okay?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Farks, I'm not swearing off guys and becoming a nun. I'm just vowing to never be Lucas' girlfriend ever again."

"Okay... I'm here whenever you need me. You know that, right?"

Maya smiled. "That's what's great about you and Smackle tutoring me: I can stay away from him."

"Gee, I feel so loved."

Maya swatted his arm because his sarcasm was uncalled for. "You know I love you."

Farkle grinned. "I know."


	4. Anything For You

**A/N: To Lucayaalltheway: yes, all my other stories are Lucaya because I'm Lucaya trash. BUT although I'm willing to sink with my ship, the point of this story is to be open to ships we may not like or want. I hope you understand, especially with the ship wars and some viewers' threats. If you (and the others who assumed that I would write Lucaya based on previous stories) read this, please comment, "Friendship is the ship that sails."**

 **WARNING: I wrote a bunch of Spanish in this chapter (oh no). For those fluent in the language, I apologize in advance for my butchered sentences. For those who have no background, I put the translation in bold!**

 **GUYS. I FOUND THE LINE. I'M SO DUMB FOR NOT SEEING IT EARLIER. *Cue church choir.***

Chapter Four: Anything For You

 _I can pretend each time I see you t_ _hat I don't care and I don't need you._

When he arrived at school, Lucas found Riley putting on makeup and Maya holding a Spanish textbook. The image was opposite from what he was used to, so he couldn't help but say, "Wow, Maya's studying."

"Sí, señor," Maya replied without looking up. "Solo puedo estudiar español." **Yes, mister. I can study Spanish alone.**

"Um, what?"

"Nada, Hopalong. No necesitas estar preocupado." **Nothing, Hopalong. You don't need to be worried.**

"La papa es un buen barco de vela!" Riley chirped with a broad smile.

"Um, what?" Lucas repeated.

"That's okay, Hee Haw. You shouldn't understand that sentence."

"Why?" Riley pouted. "What did I say?"

"The potato am a good sailboat."

Lucas burst out laughing, and Riley blushed fiercely while Maya hit him with her textbook. "Hey," she said sharply. "Only I get to laugh at her."

"Sorry, but I just find her adorable!" he argued, tucking Riley into his arms, and although it stung a little, Maya was happy to see Riley hug him back with a delighted grin.

Zay muttered to himself as he approached. "What's wrong with me?"

Lucas asked, "What do you mean?"

"I keep going back to those cheerleaders over there," Zay replied, pointing at the two girls who sat in front of the painting of the Abigail Adams' high school mascot.

"You just have a fetish," Maya said, patting Zay's arm. "It's okay."

"It's not weird!" he exclaimed. "It's just a type."

Riley announced, still in Lucas' embrace, "I'm going to try out again this year."

Lucas pressed his cheek on to her pate then released her. "Considering how you appeared on TV last year, I don't doubt you will get in."

"Ah, the popularity vote," Zay said, nodding.

"Actually, I think Riley got better when she joined the squad last year," Maya admitted. She recalled every sporting event she attended to support her best friend and hummed in approval. She hated watching the games, but she loved screaming Riley's name at the top of her lungs and receiving shock from everyone around her.

"That's true," Farkle agreed as he walked up with Smackle's books held in the crook of his arm.

"Whether that is true or not, I would like to see you cheer," Smackle said to Riley, and willingly went to the Hole, a place no one but them would dare go.

The others simply watched her descend the stairs, and Zay asked, gesturing to Smackle, "So do we just...?"

"Yep," Farkle answered, and led the group down the stairs. Zay looked at Lucas who looked at Riley who looked at Maya who shrugged and followed. Everyone else tagged along because they figured they had nothing to lose.

"Okay," Riley said, shaking her arms out. "Okay. I can do this."

Maya frowned. "What are you so nervous about?"

"I haven't done this in three months, Maya. I'm not fit, and I don't remember the moves clearly, and I didn't stretch, and-"

"Just go already," Maya snapped.

"Okay!" Riley squealed, and took her position. She clapped her hands together, looked left and right to a certain tempo as if there was a beat, walked forwards and backwards while waving her arms. Zay got so into the performance that he joined, and soon, everyone but Smackle watched him. It was a strange sight, and no one expected it because no one thought he would remember John Quincy Adams' cheerleading routine. But he did, and his friends gaped at him without any other way to express their surprise.

When Riley and Zay jumped into a front lunge with their hands in the air to mark the end, their friends applauded, Smackle the most emphatically. Then Riley turned and swatted Zay's shoulder. "You stole my moment!" she yelled.

"Girl, it was never your moment," Zay sassed, and Lucas couldn't help but let a snicker out, which made Maya glare at him.

"Well I think you are both talented," Smackle said with a smile. "Remarkable work, my dear friends."

"I think Coach Kelly is talented for being able to teach Riley how to cheer," Farkle said, and everyone muttered their assent. Even Riley couldn't argue with that.

"Hey, Zay," said Lucas. "Maybe you should join cheerleading, too."

Zay's face scrunched up. "Are you sure about that, man? I flirted with about a third of the squad in the past three days of school."

"So you're already acquainted with them," Maya twisted. "That's a bonus."

"You really should do it," Farkle agreed. "They need more guys to help hold the girls."

Lucas laughed. "I doubt he can carry them, much less throw them in the air. He gets bruises every time I hit him."

"You punch really hard, dude!" Zay complained.

"Man, I wasn't even trying."

"You're as strong as a horse. You don't need to."

"That doesn't change the fact that you're weak."

Zay wasn't sure if Lucas was employing reverse psychology, but he still declared, "I'm gonna try out, you ass."

"Duly noted," Lucas replied with smirk.

Oh-ho-ho. Zay was determined to prove his best friend wrong.

* * *

For the first time in their lives, Riley and Maya didn't have the same exact schedule. Luckily, they had art together. Riley loved seeing Maya paint, and Maya loved Riley's persistence in deviating from the task and drawing purple cats. Maya made careful strokes and chuckled when she saw that Riley covered her arms in paint again. Sometimes Maya wondered if she did it on purpose.

"Interesting technique, Ms. Hart," Mr. Jackson (the art teacher) said. "Monet used that for her _Water Lilies_." Then he sat next to the blonde, grabbed her reference photo, and held it up. His eyes glinted, and he asked, "Why did you choose this bench?"

"I don't know," she responded with a neutral expression. "I just did."

"That's not true. Artists have influences, and you're obviously an artist. What are your influences, Ms. Hart? Why are you the way you are?"

Maya knew the answer to that question, but she didn't know how to explain her choice without worrying Riley. She could put her guard up, so Mr. Jackson wouldn't push her to react to his prying, but he seemed like the type to not really care. And she admired him for that.

"This girl right here influences me," she replied, pointing at her best friend with her paint brush. Riley smiled and almost hugged Maya until the blonde said, "Arms."

"And how does she connect to this bench?"

"Oh, I know!" Riley exclaimed, saving Maya from answering. "When we were in elementary school, Maya and I liked going to Central Park and talking about whatever came to our minds on that bench. We'd sit there for hours, just her and me-"

When Riley cut herself off, her head jerked to face Maya. Maya only picked at her nails, avoiding eye contact at all costs, and Riley mumbled, "Just you and me." She remembered the picture on the table by the kitchen, the picture of Maya and Riley hugging each other tightly so that no one could come between them.

Maya looked up at Mr. Jackson and said, "I love Riley unconditionally, and this bench symbolizes that."

"Nothing else?" her art teacher asked with a small smile.

"No, there are many other things to represent our friendship, but the assignment was to paint a bench in Central Park."

Mr. Jackson grinned at the two girls and squeezed their shoulders. "You two are lucky to have each other."

Riley studied Maya's painting - the angle, the shading, the blotches - and turned to her best friend with the proudest expression ever to walk the Earth.

"Yeah," Riley said, beaming. "We are."

* * *

Maya and Lucas had math together, which meant she usually asked him for help. But today, she didn't seem to be struggling, so Lucas kept glancing at her paper to see if she was actually doing her work. She was, something he should have expected from the newly aspired Maya.

"I see you listened today," Lucas commented, doing his best to appear nonchalant. (He was failing.)

"Sí, señor," Maya replied as she checked her work in the back of the textbook. "Yo estaba escuchando." **Yes, mister. I was listening.**

He sighed. She only spoke to him in English once so far, and that was in the morning, not in this period. "Can you please speak in a language I understand?"

"No, pero gracias." **No, but thank you.**

"I suppose we can just have a one-sided conversation together."

Maya hid her smirk by turning away. "¿Cómo?" **How?**

"Now that word I understand," Lucas said with a grin. "Well, I'll just talk about my day, and you can say whatever you want because I won't understand a single word, not that I could get mad at you."

Maya, empowered by the language barrier, pointed out, "Si puedes estar enfadado con Riley, puedes estar enfadado conmigo." **If you can be mad at Riley, you can be mad at me.**

"Okay, so I understood 'Riley' and 'me,'" Lucas said, furrowing his brow. "Are you talking about the triangle?"

"No," Maya said, and sighed. "Haz tu tarea." **No. Do your homework.**

"You're going to have to help me here, Shortstack," Lucas said, not catching that Maya was done with the conversation. When she turned to him with an expression that could only be described as _what the fuck?_ , he explained, "I thought that because we're just friends now, I could give you nicknames like you give me."

Maya glared at Lucas, making him freeze for a moment before going back to his work. That was when he decided that only she had the rights to hand out embarrassing nicknames.

* * *

Farkle spent the whole day and a third of his brain (the boy could keep track of a million thoughts at once) worrying about Maya. His time to talk to her came in English. Instead of greeting Maya when she first sat down next to him, he asked, "How is your plan going so far?"

She shrugged. "It's been one day, Farkle. I'm only in Phase One."

"Which is?"

The bell rang before she could answer, so Farkle figured that was the end of the conversation. But in the middle of the lesson, Maya slid him a note.

 _Make conversation impossible._

Farkle was curious how she could do that, but he wasn't sneaky enough to easily pass a note back to her. It took him six minutes to respond.

 _How?_

 _I speak in Spanish._

Farkle bit back a laugh.

You're a smart girl. What's the next phase?

 _Slowly disappear. I need to see him less and less, but he can't notice._

Farkle knew why he couldn't notice. Lucas (like everyone else) loved Maya because of her selflessness, and if he found out what she was doing, he would only love her more.

 _And if you manage to achieve that?_

 _WHEN I manage to achieve that, I give Riley the confidence boost she needs to say yes when Lucas asks her out._

 _How do you know he'll ask her out?_

 _Because once I'm out of the picture, there will be no decision to make._

Farkle agreed with that. He just wasn't comfortable with all this scheming. He said at the beginning of the year that they shouldn't keep secrets from each other, and he still stood by that. But of course, he promised to support Maya because she would do it with or without his acquiescence, and he didn't want her to be alone. She had already spent too many years feeling alone.

* * *

During the time in which he waited for the bell to ring, Mr. Matthews watched the chaos of his class unfold. Riley and Zay shouted the Abigail Adams cheer to each other; Maya crossed her arms and spoke to Lucas in Spanish while Farkle watched; and Smackle covered her ears with her hands as she mumbled chemistry facts to herself. In general, the class was loud as everyone chatted away as the start of the lecture neared.

Once the bell rang, the students immediately shut their mouths due to their immense respect for Mr. Matthews. He smiled at them with deep pride, and it was difficult for anyone to assess whether he directed it to the class or to himself, but what they did know was that he admired each and every one of them.

"Did anyone here know that some historians believe the Constitutional Congress was a conspiracy?" Mr. Matthews asked.

Farkle raised his hand, and Smackle answered, "My dearest and I knew."

Mr. Matthews stepped aside and gestured for them to come up. "Farkle, Smackle. A duet please."

They got up to the front of the class and turned to face everyone, Smackle doing so by twirling on the ball of her left foot. She began, "The Constitution we know today includes many amendments, which are additions and revisions to the document."

"But before these amendments," Farkle continued, "the Constitution seemed to favor the rich."

"The Founding Fathers were extremely affluent," said Smackle. "George Washington owned a large plantation-"

"Fun fact," Farkle interjected. "He donated that land to the government, and it became Washington D. C."

Smackle continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "Thomas Jefferson was a prolific slaveowner, John Adams was a successful lawyer, et cetera."

"They made laws that helped people like them," said Farkle. "There was no income tax and no Bill of Rights, which meant the rights of the people weren't protected."

"And because of this, the citizens of the young Confederation became angry at the Founding Fathers," Mr. Matthews said from the corner of the room, then walked back to the front of the class. "Farkle, Smackle. Thank you. You may go back to your seats."

Once they sat back down, their teacher continued. "Maybe this conspiracy is true," he said, raising his eyebrows, and tilted his head. "Or maybe it isn't. Sometimes we feel so cheated that we need someone to blame, so we come up with a complex theory to direct our frustration somewhere. It's possible in reality, the Founding Fathers just couldn't relate to the middle class or the poor enough to consider them in the Constitution."

Mr. Matthews leaned against his desk and got to his point. "Sometimes I forget to talk to the entire class because I'm too busy paying attention to the students I know outside of school. It's not that I love them more; it's just that it's easier to reach out to them. Kids, cliques are simple to create, and it's great knowing that no matter what, you'll have a shoulder to lean on. But don't antagonize each other. These are the people you'll spend the next four years with. So when you have a fight, don't have one person or group dictate what the resolution will be. Bring your unique voice and come together. Every single one of you is taking on the world day-by-day."

* * *

"Guys, would you stop it?" Maya said, her eyebrow twitching. "I'm trying to study here."

The group was at Topanga's, and as usual, Zay procrastinated, but apparently, he didn't want to be alone because he started cheering. Naturally, the ebullient brunette that is Riley Matthews joined, and Maya just wanted it to stop. They had been doing that all day, and she didn't have enough school spirit in her to tolerate it any longer.

"Plus, you guys should do your homework," Lucas added.

"Psh," Zay said, waving him off. "I can do it tonight."

Riley sighed. "No, Lucas is right. Sleep is important, and I can't stay up just to do the homework I could do now."

"Fine," Zay muttered, and picked up his pencil.

Lucas turned to Maya with a smirk. "You can thank me later, ma'am," he said, tipping an imaginary cowboy hat.

Maya grinned and replied, "No quiero." **I don't want to.**

"I don't know what you said, but I know that wasn't gratitude."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Eres inteligente." **You're smart.** Then she stood up and announced, "I'm going to the bathroom. Take a small break, geniuses."

"Will do," Farkle said, kicking his feet onto the table as Maya left.

"Is it just me, or is Maya only talking to me in Spanish?" Lucas asked with a frown.

Smackle responded, "It is not just you, Lucas. We all noticed that. Haven't we, dearest?"

Farkle sat up. "I don't know," he answered, doing his best to keep his voice even, and looked between Riley and Zay. "Did you guys notice that?"

"Yep," Riley replied as Zay said, "Clear as the Caribbean water."

Lucas played with his pen. "Why is she doing that?" he asked mostly to himself and maybe even Riley.

"Perhaps she is attempting to keep her distance from you," Smackle offered, and Farkle pinched his leg to stop himself from confirming that statement.

"Is this her way of trying to move on from me?" _Pinch_. "Because it seems more like she doesn't want to be my friend."

 _That's not it_ , Farkle thought. _Pinch_.

"I'm sure that's not it," Riley comforted, placing her hand on his knee.

"Then what is it?" he asked, pushing his hand through his sandy blonde hair.

"She just likes teasing you, and with a new language, she doesn't even have to try."

"No," he said, gently shoving Riley's hand off of his knee. "No," he repeated certainly. "Teasing me is calling me Huckleberry or hahurring. I think Smackle is right. I think she's trying to build a wall between us."

"And if she is?" Zay questioned. "What's wrong with her needing space if it'll help her move on?"

"What are you scared of, Lucas?" Riley asked, objectively wondering if he made his decision.

He looked at the sleek black pen in his hands and whispered, "I'm scared that we won't even be friends after she moves on."

Zay snorted. "That's not going to happen, man."

Lucas furrowed his brow. "How could you be so sure?"

Zay laughed out loud then. "Have you met the girl? She's a Hart, pun only half-intended. When she loves, she loves with her entire soul, and a feeling that strong is hard to let go of."

Lucas dropped the pen and wiped his hands on his jeans, pursing his lips. Then he looked up, directly at Farkle, and said, "You haven't spoken. Do you have any ideas, Farkle?"

Farkle wore his best poker face. "Nope. None at all."

Riley's forehead creased. "You always have an idea," she said, then her jaw fell slightly. "You're hiding something."

 _Pinch_. "No I'm not."

"Definitely fishy," Zay agreed and got up to closely examine Farkle's face.

"Hey," Smackle said, pushing Zay away. "Only I can be that close to him." Then she scooted so close to her boyfriend that they could only see each other's eyes. "What secret are you keeping?"

"Tell us," Riley demanded. "She's my best friend, and I want to be there for her no matter what."

Farkle's eyes kept shifting among the three of them as his thoughts spiraled, fighting between what he wanted and what Maya wanted.

Somewhere beyond his thoughts, he heard Lucas plead, "Please, Farkle."

He caught Lucas' gaze and the desperation in them and shut his eyes. "Maya wants you and Riley to be together, and she thinks she's stopping that from happening," he blurted, feeling guilty but also ten times lighter.

"Well, she is," Zay mumbled, and Riley punched him.

"You don't have to hurt him, Riles," said Maya, and everyone jumped at the sound of her voice. They all turned to her, and she rubbed her arm while avoiding eye contact. She whispered, "It's true."

Lucas stood abruptly. "You, me, outside," he growled. All their friends' skin crawled, but Maya wasn't fazed, calmly following Lucas out the door. She knew he was a good guy; there was no need to be afraid.

" _Why_ , Maya?" he asked once they were outside. "We said we were really going to stop."

"And we are," she said, and her speaking in English rather than Spanish alleviated some of Lucas' fury. At least she was cooperating. "This isn't a triangle anymore. I'm not fighting for you; I'm letting you go."

"But you can't just make Riley and me hold on to each other while we wait for you to move on. And you can't decide who I want."

Maya bit her bottom lip. "Who do you want?" she asked against her better judgement.

Lucas sighed, wishing he would be wrong about her next response. "I don't know."

Maya's expression hardened again. "That's why I'm making it easier for you. Once I lose my feelings for you, you and Riley will be happy together, which will make me happy."

"Look," Lucas said, shoving his hands into his pockets to resist the urge to cup her face. "I appreciate you wanting us to be together despite our relationship, but honestly, Maya, you don't have to make yourself go through that. The whole point of all of us stopping is moving on for each other and _ourselves_. We shouldn't have to go through the pain of sacrificing our happiness, Maya. I don't want _you_ to go through that pain."

"But I'm okay with it, Lucas!" Maya exclaimed, eyes watering. She was just so damn tired of all her failed plans: hiding her crush on Lucas, keeping Riley safe in Rileytown, creating a happy ending for them. "Farkle was helping me - "

"Farkle couldn't handle that," Lucas said softly. "He has to be one hundred percent honest. And he also wants you to be happy."

"And I will be!" she argued, bursting into tears. "I just can't be in the way of either of your happiness."

Lucas took his hands out of his pockets and wrapped his arms tightly around the Blonde Beauty. "You won't be in the way," he mumbled into her hair. "As long as you stop putting yourself behind everyone else, we will be happy. Riley and I don't have to be together to be happy, you know."

At first, Maya refused to hug him back, but at the last sentence, her body shook. She always thought that the world meant for Riley and Lucas to have their fairy tale, but here was the prince claiming that the world did not intend for that to happen. Her arms rose to circle around his waist. "Okay," she said, and shuddered. "Okay."

And from the window, their friends watched with a smile as Maya finally took a step to loving herself.


	5. Lost Boy

**A/N: Sooo...how about that feud within the GMW cast and fandom? I honestly feel like screaming because of it. Anyways, warning: this chapter will feature repetition that might annoy or bore you, but it's a tactic to amp up the ending (she says hopefully). And I wish there was an English teacher already so I wouldn't have to make up a name. And I don't remember the smaller details of** ** _The Catcher in the Rye,_** **so bear with me.**

 **P. S. This website hates giving me the line breaks.**

Chapter Five: Lost Boy

 _He sprinkled me in pixie dust and told me to believe._

Maya sat on the floor in front of her locker as she read _The Catcher in the Rye_. She immediately related to Holden Caulfield, so although her English teacher only required her to read the first two chapters, she was already on the sixth one. Her teacher said that people either hated or loved Holden, but Maya believed "love" wasn't the right word. She didn't necessarily love him, but she empathized with him, and to people who didn't understand how he felt, he seemed annoying and irrational.

Lucas plopped down next to Maya, twisted his body to see the cover of her book, and teased, "What happened to Determined Maya?"

The small blonde turned the page. "She's still here. I'm reading Chapter Six."

The tan Texan leaned back into the lockers, resting his head against the cool metal. "Wow, you're really ahead."

Maya shrugged, turning another page. "I'm addicted to this book. It's too bad that some people hate it."

"Yeah. It really is."

The conversation ended there, but Lucas didn't mind. He knew it was a comfortable silence, feeling absolutely no tension, and closed his eyes. Moments this calm were rare for him, and he was glad that Maya wasn't the type to need to keep talking.

"Magical Maya," Riley said, and Lucas startled. His eyes shot open and found the perky brunette on the Blonde Beauty's right. "That is who you are."

"What are you talking about?" Maya asked, unfolding the yellow creased page left by a previous freshman.

"Señora Feinstein-Chang heard about your little prank on Lucas and told me how proud she was of your skill."

It didn't escape Lucas that she reduced yesterday's incident to a prank, but he didn't say anything. Maya got caught on the word "skill," and slammed her book shut, turning to Riley. "Really? She said that?"

Riley nodded with a grin. "In her exact words, she said, 'She's quick at remembering and adapting the language.'"

Despite Lucas muttering "don't I know it," Maya glowed. She never received accolades from a teacher other than her art teacher. Not even Mr. Matthews lauded her efforts in history. Her plan to become a better student was working, and now she was even more determined to get grades higher than a C.

When Farkle and Smackle approached, Maya shot up to her feet and demanded, "Help me pass every class there is."

"Whoa there," said Zay, coming up behind the couple. "What's gotten into you?"

"Oh, nothing," Riley sung. "My best friend was only complimented by the fluent Spanish teacher."

"That's great!" Farkle said, letting go of Smackle's hand to hug Maya. When he pulled back, he joked, "Now you're on your way to become a Teacher's Pet like me."

"She might even replace you," Lucas teased. "I only see her with a book in hand now."

As if to verify this, everyone looked in Maya's hand, and Zay said, "Oh shit. Were we supposed to read _The Catcher in the Rye_ for homework?"

"Yep," Maya replied, and proffered her book. "You can borrow mine if you left it at home."

Zay took it gratefully. "Thanks, man. You're a lifesaver."

Maya quirked her brow and grabbed him by the collar. "I'm not a man," she murmured dangerously.

Zay gulped. "No, no! Of course not. You're a woman."

"A lady," Smackle corrected.

"Ma'am," Lucas added with a smirk.

Maya faced him but kept her hand on Zay's shirt. "I can turn on you at any moment, Huckleberry."

"I look forward to it, ma'am," he said, winking and tipping an imaginary cowboy hat.

He meant what he said. Because although Maya wanted nothing more than to grow up, he never wanted their friendship to change.

. . .

After the bell rang, Ms. Gallagher said, "I hope you all read the first chapter of _The Catcher in the Rye_ like you were supposed to because we're going to discuss it for the entire class period.

"We'll split into two groups: if you love Holden, sit on the right side of the room, and if you hate Holden, sit on the left."

Everyone stood up and went to their respective groups. This was first period, meaning Riley and Smackle were in the class. They sat on the left side of the room.

"Okay," Ms. Gallagher said. "The goal here is to try to convince the opposing group to join your group. Who wants to start?"

Yogi raised his hand. " _How_ do we start?"

Ms. Gallagher smiled at him. "Well, let me ask you this, Yogi: what do you love about Holden?"

He blushed and admitted, "He's really funny."

When some students in the corner snickered, Ms. Gallagher snapped, "Hey. Be respectful." Then she turned back to Yogi and asked, "Why is he so amusing to you?"

"He doesn't care about anything he does or says," Yogi responded, ducking his head.

"I think that's inconsiderate," Riley blurted, but Ms. Gallagher only smiled at her and said, "Good, Riley. Keep going. Why do you think it's inconsiderate?"

"Our actions affect others whether we like it or not. Like when Maya gets into trouble, I get into trouble, too, because I'm with her no matter what. We can't just walk around and carelessly act on whatever comes to mind."

"But he's alone," Yogi noted. "There's no one he's close enough to to affect."

"He has his brother," Riley countered. She thought this to be a valid argument, considering her relationship with Auggie.

"But he doesn't seem like he's that close to him," Yogi said, frowning. "He insulted his brother's job."

"I do not like that he is a hypocrite," admitted Smackle. "He despises unscrupulous people, yet he manipulates his diction in an attempt to receive the outcome he desires."

"Yeah," Riley agreed. "He's no different; he's a person like everyone else."

"I think he just doesn't relate to other people well," Sarah commented. "He has a weird mindset. I don't even understand him."

Smackle's forehead creased. "Then why do you love him?"

Sarah shrugged. "Because I like trying to solve puzzles."

"He's certainly a puzzle, isn't he?" said Ms. Gallagher, eyes gleaming. "It's what makes this debate difficult to win." With that sentence, the students noticed no one switched sides.

Smackle felt adrenaline coursing through her veins as determination to defeat her opponents overwhelmed her. She never lost, and she wasn't going to start now. "What about his irresponsibility? How would you feel if your equipment was misplaced because of an absentminded boy?"

"It happens," Yogi responded. "I've done it before. My dad was mad at me, but he just told me not to do it next time, and I learned from my mistake. I haven't lost any of my equipment since then." He grinned proudly, then continued, "I still have my shoulder pads from third grade."

Ms. Gallagher tilted her head to the left. "What do you play, Yogi?"

"Football."

"Oh! How...brave of you."

"What do you think of his smoking habit?" Smackle demanded. "Do you not think it to be a sure sign of a rebel?"

"My aunt smokes, and she's the most supportive person I have ever met," Sarah informed.

"His tendency to run away from a meaningful conversation must bother you," Smackle practically whined. The clock was ticking, and she was getting desperate.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "If by 'meaningful' you mean 'invasive,' then no. I wouldn't want anyone trying to poking my brain for secrets. That's private."

"Mr. Spencer was only encouraging Holden to work harder."

"Maybe he's just meant for something other than school."

"Can someone _please_ just come to this side?" Smackle begged as the time displayed that there was only one minute left of class.

No one moved, and no one spoke, not even Ms. Gallagher. She simply watched the class, realizing the extent of her class' stubbornness. The bell rang, and everyone gathered their belongings and left silently.

Smackle exited the room with a slight slouch. She didn't lose, but she didn't win.

. . .

Ms. Gallagher found teaching fun, but she hated the fact that she sometimes had to repeat herself.

"I hope you all read the first chapter of _The Catcher in the Rye_ like you were supposed to because we're going to discuss it for the entire class period.

"We'll split into two groups: if you love Holden, sit on the right side of the room, and if you hate Holden, sit on the left."

Everyone stood up and went to their respective groups. This was third period, meaning Zay and Lucas were in the class. They sat on the right side of the room.

"Okay," Ms. Gallagher said. "The goal here is to try to convince the opposing group to join your group. Who wants to start?"

"I wanna start," volunteered Zay. "I don't know 'bout y'all, but I love Holden because he's so relatable."

Darby's face contorted. "In what way?"

"He's funny and forgetful, and he tries to B-S his way through school."

"And he got expelled. Again. He's a very unreliable guy."

"Hey," Zay said, shrugging. "I never said I was a good person."

"Well I think you're funny, and he's not," said Corn Chip Dave. "He's bombastic."

"Bombastic? What does that mean? That he's 'da bomb'?"

"No, Zay," Lucas said with a sigh. "Bombastic means using big, meaningless words, which I disagree with. Holden just lost faith in the world."

Ms. Gallagher perked up at the first analysis of the day. "And what made you come to that conclusion, Lucas?"

"Everything he said in both of the chapters told me that," he responded, trying his best to remain calm. This book struck a chord with him, a chord that he had yet to figure out how to strum. "He hated listening to the philanthropist who visited the school; he's not willing to put in any effort in anything he does; and he's even in a mental facility!"

"Luke, calm down," Zay warned, putting his hand on the other Texan's shoulder.

"Sorry," Lucas muttered. "But my point is that he's just stuck on the idea that everyone is a liar, so he believes in the worst possible scenario."

"So we lie sometimes," said Darby. "It happens, but that doesn't make us awful people."

"You mean if Yogi cheated on you and kept it a secret, you'd be okay with that?" Zay questioned.

"What?" Darby exclaimed with a scowl. "Of course not. Who do you think I am?"

Lucas asked, "Then where do we draw the line? When is it okay to lie?"

"I think white lies are fine," Corn Chip Dave replied. "They're not harmful, and they can even spare someone's feelings."

"So you're saying if it prevented an uncomfortable situation, lying is okay," Lucas said flatly.

"Yep."

"I just can't agree with that. I think we should be prepared to handle anything because in the real world, we can't please everyone or expect things to go our way."

"You would know that, wouldn't you, Mr. Tip of the Triangle?" Darby taunted.

Zay snickered, and Lucas glared at him, but before it could grow into a personal battle, Ms. Gallagher snapped, "Knock it off." Then she turned to Lucas and said, "Something tells me you're angry at society."

He sighed. "I'm so tired all the time."

Ms. Gallagher nodded empathetically. "Maybe you should try writing what you're thinking down. It helps."

With that sentence completed, the bell rang, and Lucas felt like his classmates hated him for his jaded perspective.

. . .

 _Here we go again,_ Ms. Gallagher thought as she said, "I hope you all read the first chapter of _The Catcher in the Rye_ like you were supposed to because we're going to discuss it for the entire class period.

"We'll split into two groups: if you love Holden, sit on the right side of the room, and if you hate Holden, sit on the left."

Everyone stood up and went to their respective groups. This was fifth period, meaning Maya and Farkle were in the class. Farkle sat on the left side of the room, and Maya sat on the right.

"Okay," Ms. Gallagher said. "The goal here is to try to convince the opposing group to join your group. Who wants to start?"

"I think Holden is just sensitive," spoke Charlie from the right side of the class. "I would know because, well"-he chuckled-"it takes one to know one."

Maya rolled her eyes at his diction. Maybe Charlie was sensitive, but humble he was not.

"He's a snob," Marly snarked. "He tries to sound cool by talking about people like he knows their hidden intentions when in reality, we can't tell what other people are thinking because our minds are intricate things."

"Farkle time," Farkle announced. "Having a father who's in the business world, I don't think Holden is necessarily wrong, _but_ he needs to realize he's not the only one who suffers from corruption."

"Just because he's not the only one doesn't mean he shouldn't feel hurt by it," Maya muttered, then looked up with her hands clenched in her lap. "Tell me, Farkle. How do you feel when you get a good grade on a test?"

He frowned but answered, "Proud. I feel like putting each one in a binder to admire when I'm not doing an experiment or hanging out with you and our friends."

"You're not the only one who feels that way; I'm like that, too, but does that take away your pride? Does that make getting good grades less important?"

Farkle twirled his thumbs, pursing his lips. "No, it doesn't. But how can I love someone who's constantly pessimistic? I believe in facts, and Holden just looks for the worst in people without verifying whether he's correct."

"It's not about loving him," Maya replied resolutely. "It's about whether we can empathize with him. Yeah, it's difficult to be in company of someone who's negative; I know this especially because I have to deal with myself everyday. But, Farkle, do you hate me?" She didn't let him respond, but he didn't have to. She knew the answer. "No, you don't because you understand that we are the manifestation of our emotions even if a scientist like you thinks we shouldn't become what we feel."

When Farkle didn't speak up, Maya brought her argument to a close. "So can you empathize with him?" she asked, facing everyone so that they realized she was talking to every one of them.

It was quiet as everyone absorbed Maya's words. Then, one-by-one, her classmates joined the right side of the room until Farkle was alone. Maya watched him patiently, and he smiled sadly at her and said, "It's hard to admit I'm wrong." Then he stood up and went to sit next to her.

Ms. Gallagher grinned because this was the first time today the entire class sat on one side of the room, much less someone moved. "Good job, Maya. You have a very strong voice."

Maya bit her bottom lip and asked, "Ms. Gallagher, why is Holden in a mental hospital?"

Ms. Gallagher smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm sure you know the answer to that."

Maya nodded, dragging her finger across her desk. "It's hard to take on the world alone."

"Indeed, Maya," Ms. Gallagher said. "It is."


	6. Something New

**A/N: To Guest, that's so cool! I never met anyone with the last name of Gallagher. And thank you for your kind words!**

 **Here is the beginning of the ship development.**

Chapter 6: Something New

 _I see the dawn of a new beginning. This time, this time we can't go home._

"Thanks, Farks," said Maya as she put her notebook back in her black backpack. "That was like a math and chem lesson rolled into one, but I didn't hate it."

She shut her backpack and patted it. Her backpack was beat up, but she couldn't get rid of it because she loved the splotches of paint too much. She painted light green vines along the zippers, white roses everywhere, and in honor of Riley, a purple cat on the bottom right corner.

"I'm a good teacher," Farkle said, shrugging. "A good teacher knows how to get his student's attention."

Maya thought that he was right, but even a teacher like Mr. Matthews lost her attention sometimes. She didn't say this, though, and opted to simply lie on the floor, staring up at the galaxy, her eyes resting on the denounced planet. "Do you actually believe Pluto is a planet?"

"No, I don't," Farkle responded, and lied down next to her. "But I believe in Riley, and I'd do anything for her."

Maya smiled softly to herself. "Yeah. Me too."

Farkle traced the outline of Pluto with his finger in the air and asked, "Want to leave your mark?"

Maya turned her to her left, noticing how his eyes seemed a million light years away. "What do you mean?"

"I realized I always say I love you and Riley equally, but so far, I only have a symbol of Riley in my room. So I was wondering if you could paint on the wall behind my bed."

Now Maya sat up and studied his features for any lie. "Are you sure, Farkle? I mean, paint won't come off."

He shrugged, bringing his eyes down to hers. "I can cover it again, but that's not the point. You're a great artist, Maya, and if you're okay with it, I'd feel honored to have your mark in my room."

She snickered and teased, "I'll pee on your sheets for you." Then she got up and jumped onto his bed to figure out what she would create for her best friend.

Farkle rolled onto the mattress to her right just to admire her concentration, the concentration that felt like the calmest form of Maya. She always seemed on edge, like she was ready for someone or something to attack her. He knew it was most likely due to her fear of everything good in her life (i.e. Riley and Shawn) crashing and burning, but somehow art took that away from her. Her face relaxed, and she appeared as though she didn't have a war waging inside her head.

"Okay, so-" Maya began, stopping herself abruptly when she noticed Farkle observing her like she was in a TV show. She jumped a bit and asked, "Why are you staring at me?"

He raised his eyebrows. For someone as beautiful as Maya, he assumed that she would be accustomed to it. Then again, she intimidated almost everyone she met, so they probably felt too petrified to display their interest. "I love you best like this."

"Like what?"

"Free."

Maya picked at her cuticles, snorted, and said, "I'm not sure if I'm exactly free."

Farkle rolled on to his back, still keeping his eyes on her. "Why not?"

"I paint whatever speaks to me; I let everything inside of me out. I'm pretty sure that's being trapped in some twisted way."

He shrugged. "I guess it depends on your perspective, but in my opinion, releasing all that emotion sounds liberating."

"But I have to _really_ feel them to capture them right."

"Then I look forward to whatever appears on that wall."

With that sentence, Maya's shoulders relaxed, and she spoke excitedly as she recalled how they even got on to this topic. "Well I wanna paint the view from my window so that if you ever feel lonely or out-of-place, you remember that I, the equally, though not similarly, weird Maya Penelope Hart, am always here for you."

Farkle grinned, pulling her down to lie comfortably in his loose hold. "Thanks, Maya," he said. "Not just for the painting or for being loyal, but also for knowing that sometimes I need a reminder that someone's there for me."

"No problem, Farks. You've done the same for me," she replied, going back to her time in Texas. Had that been only almost a year ago? It felt like so much longer...

 _Happy thoughts,_ Maya scolded herself. _Happy thoughts._ Her mind drifted to Rileytown and added, "Plus I think everyone, even the happiest people, need to remember they're not alone."

And if Farkle thought she paused too long before continuing, he didn't say so. Instead he said, "How alone do you feel right now?"

She frowned. "Something tells me you don't actually mean 'right now.'"

"You seem most drained from the triangle."

She tilted her head up, skin brushing against the dark fabric of his shirt. "Why?"

"It was longer for you. You kept the crush you developed for Lucas a secret for who-knows-how-long."

"Since the beginning of eighth grade year," Maya muttered, hiding her face in the crook of his arm. "When Zay came to New York."

Farkle absentmindedly rested his cheek on her pate. "Why then?"

"He's a good guy," she responded, her voice clear as she spoke to the ceiling, and Farkle knew she was referring to Lucas. "Sometimes he's _too_ good. But when I found out about his past, he suddenly seemed obtainable. He had rough edges, too, so maybe I wouldn't cut him, maybe it wasn't despicable to even consider a future with him. Maybe hope wasn't for suckers."

"Stop," Farkle interrupted.

She still refused to look at him, especially when her eyes were threatening to spill over. "What?"

"Stop talking about him like he's a god. He's my best friend and a great guy, but I hate that when it comes to you and Riley, he's suddenly more than just a great guy. I may not be obsessed with either of you anymore, but I still see you both as the sun and moon in my galaxy. So please. For me. Don't let an idiot with a pretty face break down your self-esteem."

Maya wiped away the stray tears with the heel of her hand and said, "Thanks, Farkle." Then curiously: "What is Smackle in your galaxy?"

He squirmed, but she didn't move away, and he answered, "I don't know yet."

"Well, when you figure it out, I wanna be the first to know. You have to practice how you tell Smackle with me."

"I have to?" he asked with a laugh.

"Yep," she replied with no trace of a joke in her voice.

"Oh..."

. . .

"Are you following me, Lucas?" asked Smackle, and Lucas jumped five feet into the air. He twirled around and found his gaze falling to the short intellect, realizing she and Maya were practically the same height.

He sighed. "No, I'm not, Smackle."

"Uh-huh," she said doubtfully, and for the millionth time, Lucas wondered if she was teasing him. He didn't know her enough to make any kind of guess, but after two years of Maya's taunting, he frankly couldn't care less if Smackle was joking.

"So what brings you here?" he asked, genuinely curious because she was by herself at Central Park, a place that would have been his last guess if someone dared him to answer where Smackle spent her Saturday afternoons.

"I assume I am here for the same reason as you," she replied, gesticulating to the sidewalk in front of them.

"I'm gonna run," Lucas said as if that wasn't already clear after she caught him stretching.

"So am I," Smackle said, and adjusted her sweat bands. "Shall we run together?"

"Try to keep up," he said with a smirk and took off.

"Stop flirting with me," she retorted, striding next to him easily.

Her even breaths and smooth teasing provoked Lucas, so he sped up, which made her follow suit. This happened a couple of times before Smackle noted with a slight rasp, "I have had an intellectual rival, but never an athletic rival. This should be interesting."

"No...no, we're not...enemies... We're friends," Lucas argued, trying to appear as though he wasn't out-of-breath. He wouldn't dare say it aloud, but he admitted to himself that his pride was a little hurt. Here was a girl who was as short as Maya, and here was he who stood at almost six feet, and they had the same physical limits. For a brief second, he wondered if she could also beat him in a fist fight, but he quickly shook that idea off when he realized how violent that thought was.

"You can attempt to convince yourself of that, Lucas, but I know the truth," Smackle remarked, then went goddamn faster.

Lucas mentally cursed (okay, maybe he literally said "fuck," but he wasn't ever going to tell anybody that) and caught up to her.

After their competition of whose cardiovascular and muscular endurances were better, Smackle and Lucas lied on the grass panting. While she wiped her lenses, he gazed up at the dark yet somehow clear sky and asked, "Where'd you learn to run like that?"

Smackle pushed her glasses up her nose and replied, "I worked vigorously in PE. How else am I supposed to earn straight A's?"

"I don't know how, but Farkle might."

Smackle laughed. "Contrary to popular belief, Farkle can sprint as if his life depended on it if he truly wished to."

"How would you know this? I had PE with him."

"And I watched him for many years."

Lucas smirked. "Who's the creepy creep creep now?" he joked, echoing her words from the New Year's party.

Smackle's expression mimicked his. "It is still you."

After ten minutes and forty-three seconds (Smackle counted to calm herself), their heart rates slowed, their movements became languid, and they could process every emotion they had. But to Lucas, the only feeling he had was hungry. Starving. Ravenous. Any synonym to the word, really, so he said, "Hey, Smackle. Do you want to go get lunch together?"

"Lucas," she scolded with her eyes shut. "You know I have a boyfriend."

If she were Zay, he would have punched her by now. Instead he just sighed and said, "As friends. Do you want to go get some lunch as _friends_."

"Oh, okay. I am hungry anyway, so I do not see the harm. Let us go." Smackle stood up, wiped off her shorts, and proffered Lucas her hand. He reluctantly accepted it and commented, "I'm pretty sure this is supposed to be the other way around."

Smackle rolled her eyes. "Simply because you were raised to be a southern gentlemen does not mean I cannot have manners."

Lucas furrowed his brow, catching a certain phrase in her sentence. "You sound like Maya. Kind of."

"Well, she has mentioned a thing or two about your background," Smackle replied mischievously, and started to walk to a nearby restaurant. "Yee-haw, mutton buster."

Lucas slapped his forehead, following her. "Oh no. Not again."

. . .

"You'll definitely make the team, Riles. No doubt about it," Zay lauded, then chugged his water.

Riley flipped her hair and waved her free hand flirtatiously as she responded, "Oh, stop. But in all seriousness, so will you."

Zay fidgeted, full of nervous energy. "Really? I thought I was a bit sloppy in the back flip, and sometimes I crashed into you."

Riley grinned reassuringly. "So we'll just fix that the next time we practice. Once you have the routine perfectly memorized, I guarantee you'll at least make the freshman team."

Zay pouted and said, "Look at you giving me confidence and all about cheerleading. What happened to the klutzy, clumsy girl I met a year ago?"

"She never gave up and grew into her body. Look!" Riley exclaimed ebulliently, and flailed her arms. "I have full-control of my limbs!"

Zay laughed. "There she is."

Riley closed the lid to her bottle, all pretenses of a joke gone, looked into Zay's eyes solicitously, and asked, "Are you sure you don't want to join baseball with Lucas? Many people do cheerleading and another sport. It's possible."

He tossed his empty bottle into his bag and answered, leaning in closely, "Listen, sugar. I'm gonna tell you a secret: I don't wanna be compared to Lucas anymore. He's my best friend, but that's what makes it worse; I can't get mad at him because I know what a great guy he is. But I want my own thing, somethin' where no one starts pointin' out why I'm not as good as Lucas Friar. Plus, I can play sports with him whenever, but cheerleading, gettin' other people hyped and positive, is rare."

Riley smiled expectantly, tilting her head toward him. "And you're happy to spend time with me?"

Zay chuckled and pinched her cheek. "O' course that, too."

She nodded, appeased, and said, "I'm happy you're doing something for yourself, Zay. Sometimes I think you're so involved in our lives that you forget to live yours."

"Completely possible," he agreed, slinging his arm on the back of the bench by her head. "But y'all good now, right? I don't need to watch out for y'all?"

"I have cheerleading, Lucas has baseball, and Maya has art, so we shouldn't worry about controlling our feelings that much anymore. Now before you say we had that already, this is _high school_ now. It's harder to succeed here. People will have a lot to say, and we'll just have to react to what we're told."

"Okay, I believe you. But just know that since we're gonna spend a lot of time together, we're gonna get closer than we already are. You can trust me with whatever is on your mind. I'm here for you."

She beamed. "Thanks, Zay. I'm here for you, too. Just tell me when you don't feel well, and I'll give you the confidence boost you need."

"After seeing Maya, I believe that. You're sure somethin' else, Riley Matthews."

"You, too, Isaiah Babineaux. You, too."


	7. Seamless

**A/N: Not to sound conceited or anything, but I made myself ship these ships hardcore.**

 **WARNING: I have not been to a pizza parlor in FOREVER.**

 **P. S. I totally just made up a last name in here because I couldn't make it out in _Girl Meets Money._**

* * *

Chapter Seven: Seamless

 _I know all your secrets, and I promise you I'm gonna keep them._

"Lucas, this is not baseball," chided Smackle, though she wore a huge grin. She constantly ran for the ball because Lucas kept hitting it high and out of the court, which amused her so much.

"In my defense, I'm supposed to be practicing for my try-outs," he said, attempting to hit more lightly. The ball still went far, but at least it was in the court this time.

Smackle returned the ball with ease. "Hey, I offered my assistance in your athletic endeavors, but you insisted that you had time to practice during the week."

"And I do," Lucas agreed, and beamed when he realized he got the hang of the game. "I'm just letting you know I'm more used to baseball than tennis."

Smackle did a weird spin-hit thing like she was in _Karate Kid,_ and after she landed on her feet, she said, "Duly noted."

"Besides, we need a lot of people to play baseball. Not to brag, but I can hit pretty hard," said Lucas, and as if to prove his point, the ball flew into the back fence.

"So I have heard," Smackle called over her shoulder as she went to get the ball. "Before we became friends, Farkle liked to talk about you a lot."

"Me?"

"Well, you and obviously everyone else. Not everything is about you, Lucas. Gosh."

"Wow," he muttered, timing his swing just right. The ball fell right where her racket was, and he smiled when Smackle looked at him with a pleasantly surprised raise of her brow.

After a few back and forths, Lucas asked, "So how are you and Farkle?"

"Stop flirting with me," she immediately responded.

He sighed and let the ball roll past him so he could have an excuse to turn away from her. "It was an honest question, Smackle."

"Well..." Her voice trailed off.

Lucas straightened his back, but didn't hit the ball to her. "What?"

"I do not know how to answer that question because he and I have not gone out alone. We are always with our friends when we are together."

Lucas walked over to her and said, "So it doesn't feel like you're a couple?"

"No, not really," Smackle answered, and they sat on the bench where their bags were. "But I do not mind. Being in the same room as him is enough for me." Even to her own ears, Smackle sounded a little disappointed and unsure, so to distract herself, she drank from her water bottle.

"Does he make you feel like 'bluh-ya-la-loo'?" Lucas asked, smirking. He had to admit that when he was not on the receiving end of said emotion, making that noise was fun.

"Yes," Smackle answered, laughing. "Yes, I suppose that is a way to describe my feelings for him."

Lucas was not one to meddle; that was Riley's job. But after feeling so out-of-control in the triangle, he thought maybe he could help someone with their relationship. He wasn't going to tell her that, though.

Smackle cleared her throat, drawing Lucas away from his scheming. "Can we go back to playing tennis now?"

"Of course, ma'am," he replied, hand in place to tip an imaginary hat, but then Smackle asserted, "I am not Maya. Please do not treat me like a replacement for your failed crush."

He frowned. _I wouldn't call it a failed crush..._ , he thought, but nodded in understanding. "That wasn't my intention, but okay. I'll just find some other way to tease you," he said, and smiled.

"Give it a rest, Lucas. It's _never_ going to happen."

" _Wow_."

. . .

"Really, Zay?" Riley frowned. "Pizza?"

"What's wrong with pizza?" he asked, pushing the door open.

"We should stay in shape if we want to make the team," she answered, sliding into a booth. "Also, I'm usually at the top of the pyramid. I don't want to crush them."

"Girl, you're beautiful," Zay said, and looked through the menu. "Don't let anyone make you feel bad about your body."

"That's not what I meant," Riley muttered, though she couldn't deny the implication.

"Look," said Zay, putting his elbow on the table. He held his hand out as if he was doing her a favor. "If it makes you feel better, we can split it."

Riley's jaw dropped. "We weren't going to do that?"

"And," he continued, ignoring her, "we'll just get cheese."

She nodded. "Thank you."

A tall, thin waitress who looked like she was in her mid-twenties came by and said, "Hey, my name is Maggie. How are you guys? May I take your order?"

Riley always wondered why those two questions were piled on to each other. She appreciated the courtesy, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she wished that someone would mean it, would ask her how she felt and just listen. Her friends made sure she was okay, but that was it. She didn't want them to wonder only when they noticed she was sad or distracted. Sometimes she just hid her pain well. And even if she wasn't in a bad mood, she wanted someone to ask her how her day was and dreamed that she could blab her heart out without feeling guilty. She always felt guilty for taking people's time. Everyone was important, and she knew that.

"We're good," said Zay, pulling Riley out of her thoughts. "May we have a cheese pizza cut into eight slices?"

"All right," Maggie replied, scribbling their order on her notepad. "And for drinks?"

"Just water please," said Riley. "For both of us," she added, and glared pointedly at Zay, challenging him to argue with her.

He sunk lower into the cushion and mumbled, "Yep, no soda."

Maggie smiled. "You guys are so cute. I'll just take those menus and leave you to your date."

"No, he's not my boyfriend," Riley said, but Maggie was already walking away, and she even _winked_ over her shoulder.

When Riley sighed, Zay raised his eyebrows. "Wow, I didn't know I was that undateable."

"No, that's not it," Riley insisted, brushing her hair behind her ears. She swallowed. "It's just..."

"I know. You just haven't seen yourself with anyone other than Lucas."

She looked up with wide eyes, and Zay smiled at her gently. "You can't hide it, Riley, and you don't have to. I know that you feel you have to be okay with everything that's going on, but you're allowed to be selfish, too. Let yourself be sad right now. Your secret is safe with me."

"What about you?" Riley asked, defensive. She wasn't used to this treatment, so she couldn't think of any other way to react. "I haven't seen you let yourself be sad."

Zay grabbed the salt shaker, poured a pile on to the table, and spread the pieces out then back together. He repeated the push-and-pull as he shrugged and said, "Lucas was always the brooding troublemaker. I was just the cute friend."

Riley frowned. She hated to hear him say that, but knowing exactly what he was talking about was even worse. They knew that both sides suffered. If you had a bad life, you lost, and if you had a good life, you lost because if you were doing well, people expected you to be happy no matter what. But in the end, everyone just suffered.

It was too much negativity for Riley to handle. But she couldn't think of a new topic to focus on, so she just continued the conversation. "So you understand where I'm coming from."

"I do," Zay answered, and the pizza arrived. He picked up a slice, bit into it, and spread his arms out as if to embrace the space around them. "Which is why I could be your safe haven," he offered with a grin.

Riley pursed her lips, the pizza hanging in midair. "My safe haven?"

"Yeah," Zay confirmed, stuffing his mouth. "Talk about your problems with me. Or at least the problems you can't tell Maya about."

Riley considered this boy whom she hardly spoke to, this boy with the endearing smile and messy eating habits. He seemed genuine in his proposition, especially with the way he kept looking back at her to see if she was thinking about it. "Okay," she finally agreed. "Okay, I'll do it, but on one condition."

"Sure. What is it?"

"I'll be your safe haven," Riley said, and proffered her hand. "Deal?"

Zay wiped his mouth and hand with a napkin and held it out (his hand, not his napkin). "Deal."

. . .

"Ugh, we need more upper body strength," said Maya as she and Farkle pushed his bed away from the wall.

"Hey, at least we're making progress," he said, grunting. "...But I suppose it would speed up the process."

"Ya think?" Maya said. Then she groaned and dropped her arms to her sides.

"Maya!" Farkle complained, still pushing. "I can't do this alone."

"Can we just take a break?" she whined.

"Just a little more space, then you can paint," he persuaded, and he could see the prospect of painting tempt her as her face twisted.

She sighed and relented. "Fine."

When they finally got the bed at decent distance away from the wall, Maya gazed up and noted, "I can't reach that high."

Farkle beamed. "Fear not, my little moon. I have a stepping stool for you. Just let me find it."

Maya turned slowly to him and quirked a brow. "Your _little moon_?"

Farkle only got scared of Maya when they were face-to-face, and at that moment, she glared at his back. In other words, he didn't notice the tension. "Yeah, after our conversation last week, I thought it suited you."

She actually paused to consider that, and if he weren't Farkle, she would have still murdered him. "But did you have to put 'little' in the nickname?"

Farkle came back and set the stool in front of her. When he stood with his back straight again, he had the audacity to _roll his eyes._ "Maya, you're short. Just accept it. Besides, it doesn't change who you are on the inside, which is anything but short."

Maya scrunched her nose up with a smirk. "And don't you forget it."

She moved the stool to where she wanted to start, and Farkle reclined on his bed to watch. When he caught the beginning of a pedestrian (he guessed Mrs. Dabadie), he broke through their silence. "How are you?"

Maya hummed. "That's never just a question between friends, so what do you mean?"

"Do you love yourself yet?"

She huffed and muttered something he couldn't hear. "I think that self-love takes many years. It's a tough roller coaster, one where you get better at times, and get worse at others. It's easier to love other people. At least you can't hear their insecurities, and when you can, you relate to them."

Farkle didn't know what to say to that, so he just revised his question. "Do you like yourself yet?"

Maya laughed a quick, rough laugh, but it was beautiful just the same. "No, but I'm getting there. I'm getting good grades, I'm staying out of trouble... This is a good me."

Farkle pursed his lips. "As long as you're still you."

Maya turned around for a brief second, but long enough for him to see the mischievous glint in her eyes. "Believe me. I'm still me."

"Good. Because I love my little moon for all the craters she has."

Maya rolled her eyes. "That was so lame. And stop calling me your 'little moon.'"

Farkle grinned. "It'll grow on you. I mean, I have."

Maya smiled as she made gentle strokes on his wall. _Yeah you have, genius,_ she thought. _You really have._


	8. Sun and Moon

Chapter Eight: Sun and Moon

 _Infinity times infinity times infinity. Let there be light! Let there be light! Let me be right..._

"Hey, Farkle," said Lucas, pulling his best friend aside. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Considering how you already dragged me away from everyone," Farkle said, gesturing to the bench away from the girls' lockers, "I don't see why not."

Lucas crossed his arms. "Good, good..."

When Farkle realized the Texan wasn't going to talk until given some sort of permission, he sat down and asked, "So why did you bring me here?"

Lucas sucked on his lip, then released it slowly, sitting down next to him. "Well...you know how Smackle and I hung out on Saturday?"

Suddenly Farkle shoved his face close to Lucas' and said, "You better not be telling me you like my girlfriend, because you'll find yourself in another triangle, but this time, it'll end quickly. No one likes her as much as I do."

Lucas pushed him away, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I know. Bluh-ya-la-loo. But that's not where I'm going with this. What I'm trying to say is if you like her that much, take her on a date, just the two of you."

Farkle furrowed his brow. "What's wrong with what we have now?" Then he panicked and asked frantically, "Is she going to break up with me?"

"No!" Lucas exclaimed, grabbing hold of Farkle's shoulders. The genius still wouldn't look into the Texan's eyes. "No, that's not what I'm trying to say either. Farkle, stop squirming and just listen. Smackle only wants some time alone with you to feel like she's actually your girlfriend, not just a friend with some special privileges. Do you think you can do that?"

"Of course I can," he huffed indignantly, brushing off Lucas' hands, and finally looked back at him. "I just don't know where to go."

Lucas smiled gently. "Why don't you take her to a restaurant and talk about whatever you guys want to? Your date doesn't have to be big and grand; she only wants to be with you."

Farkle squinted his eyes and leaned in, poking Lucas' cheekbones. "How do you know more about my girlfriend than me? Why should I trust your judgment?"

Lucas slapped his hand away and replied, "Because I asked."

. . .

Ever since Maya taught him what it was like to be poor, Farkle hated using his dad's money. Whenever he wanted to buy something, he paid with his own allowance, which he demanded was only ten dollars per week.

That was how he and Smackle found themselves at In-N-Out on Friday night. Farkle figured that it was a quiet enough to talk and cheap enough to pay for both their meals. Still, he felt self-conscious because the restaurant wasn't really a place for dates.

"I'm sorry if this wasn't what you had in mind," he said while they were in line.

"Do not be sorry, dearest," Smackle reassured, taking a step forward. "I did not have anything in mind other than spending time with you."

Farkle nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and they stayed silent. It grew to be uncomfortable as they drifted farther apart, almost like it was an instinct, and Farkle cursed himself when he remembered what he told her a couple of years ago. _Science dictates that like forces repel._

When they arrived at the front of the line, Smackle ordered a grilled cheese, and Farkle got a hamburger with fries for them to share. He paid the cashier and noticed that his girlfriend smiled at the floor, making him breathe out slowly in relief. At least he was doing something right.

The cashier handed them cups for their drinks, and Farkle told Smackle to pour whatever she wanted into them while he waited for their food. As awful as it sounded, when she left, he felt like he could breathe again. He wiped his hands on his jeans and tried to enjoy the oxygen for as long as he could. Farkle wasn't sure if he ever felt this anxious in his life except for when he and Smackle first started dating. But they had been together for almost half a year now. _Should I still be feeling this way?_ he wondered.

"Number fifty-six?" the cashier called.

Farkle grabbed the tray, thanked him, and looked for his girlfriend. Smackle waved her arm from the back of the room, and he headed towards her, hoping he wouldn't drop their food. He managed to reach the table with only a small trip and mentally clapped himself on the back.

"Are you all right, dearest?" Smackle asked, placing her hand on top of his.

Farkle's fingers twitched. He thought he exhaled quietly. "Yeah, I'm just nervous."

Smackle's fingers curled more tightly, a reassurance more for her than him. "I am also feeling this emotion."

They nibbled at their burgers as they let their anxiety sink in. At first, Farkle considered the cause of the tension to be because it was their first date, but they were with each other often, and wouldn't holding hands make them shy? Smackle and Farkle held hands so freely and out in the open, so that couldn't be the reason. Maybe it was because they had practice and talked about physical contact in eighth grade. Maybe they needed practice going out, but what was the difference between what they were doing now and what they did with their friends? Nothing. They were still having dinner, and they were still surrounded by other people.

"We should just be ourselves," his girlfriend spoke up, moving her hand to her lap. "Do not hold anything back."

Farkle's eyes widened. "Smackle, have you been suppressing yourself?"

"Yes, very much so," she admitted. "I do not compete with you intellectually anymore, and it is rather stifling."

"Why haven't you ever told me this?" her boyfriend asked, frowning.

She picked up a French fry and dipped it into the ketchup, avoiding his eyes. "I thought I was being a good girlfriend."

"But I like proving I'm smarter than you," said Farkle, finally taking a big bite from his burger.

Smackle raised a brow and quirked the corner of her lips. "From what I recall, I won everything we competed in, whether that was in debate, the Buggie awards, et cetera."

Farkle said, grinning, "And I'm still going to show you all that I'm capable of."

"I know you are capable of great things, but you should keep in mind that I have held myself back for such a long time. You may have forgotten all that _I_ can do."

"Then I look forward to seeing you fight at full force."

Smackle smiled softly and said, "I missed this."

Farkle's gaze turned sad. "Me, too. Do you think we liked each other more when we weren't a couple?"

"I believe so," answered Smackle, dropping her gaze to the table. "But I do not wish to be enemies again either."

"Then we can be something in between," he offered.

She looked up again. "And that is?"

"Proud, zealous friends."

She grinned and replied, "I would like that very much."

"So that's it?" Farkle asked, unsure of what to do now. "We're breaking up?"

"I suppose we are," Smackle responded, nodding. "But I still like you a lot, Farkle."

"And as I to you, Smackle," said Farkle, and pointed at the food. "Now how about we eat, my friendly arch-nemesis?"

"Sounds like a plan, my admirable foe," Smackle replied, biting into her now cold grilled cheese.

And so they ate.

. . .

Maya and Riley sat at the Bay Window studying Spanish.

"Riles," Maya sighed. "You have to make the accent on the 'n.' Años."

"Anos," said Riley, then groaned. "If you told me what it meant, maybe I wouldn't keep saying it incorrectly."

"Assholes!" Maya shouted, finally losing her patience. "You're saying assholes!"

Riley's jaw fell in horror. "I've been _cursing_ , and you didn't tell me?!"

"I told you it was a bad word."

"Oh yeah."

Then Farkle came through the window and said with a serene smile, "Hey."

Riley wiggled her eyebrows. "I take it your date went well?" she said without prelude.

Maya rolled her eyes and said, "Hey, Farks." She wasn't one to talk about relationships, and she figured maybe a greeting would be nice to the boy who still made time for them.

"Smackle and I broke up," he answered, but his smile didn't falter.

"What?" Riley said, any hint of joke dissipating from her tone and expression. "Why?"

"We realized we were stopping each other from growing. We couldn't push each other to become better scientists as boyfriend and girlfriend because we were too scared of hurting the other's feelings."

"You mean you couldn't become smarter nerds," Maya clarified. "You guys are good in everything school, so I doubt you were slacking off in just science."

Normally "nerds" would sound mean, but coming from Maya's mouth, it came out as a compliment. Therefore, Farkle simply asked, "Did you notice that was happening?"

"Not really, no," she admitted. "You're still a genius to me."

"To everyone," added Riley. "You're still a genius to everyone."

"Thanks, guys," Farkle said, and they gathered into a group hug. "I can always count on my sun and moon to be there for me."

"We love you, Farkle," Riley said. "We'll stand by you no matter what."

"I'll be around even when you can't see me," Maya confirmed.

"And I'll brighten any day you need me to."

"And I'll give back to you what you've given to me," Farkle said, bending down to get closer to the girls. "For infinity."

. . .

Lucas' phone rang, and when he looked at the screen, he saw it was Smackle.

 _Huh_ , he thought. _That's_ _weird_. _She should still be with Farkle._

He picked up his phone and swiped across the screen to answer. "Hello?"

"Lucas, it is Smackle," she said, her voice revealing no reason as to why she called.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I noticed. I have Caller ID."

"Oh. I see."

"Not that I mind, but why did you call me?"

"I called to thank you."

"Thank me?" Lucas asked, putting his pencil down. "For what?"

"For convincing Farkle to take me on a date," she replied as if it were obvious (which it was, but Lucas had a thick skull). "It led to many discoveries."

Lucas knew that this wasn't a scientific discovery, so he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Farkle and I decided we were better as friends."

Lucas shot up from his seat, making it wobble. He caught it and said, "You guys broke up? God, what have I done? I'm so sorry, Smackle. If there's anything I can do, anything at all, I - "

She laughed, which cut him off mid-sentence. "Lucas, I was not employing sarcasm when I thanked you. Farkle and I are still talking, and I have to say I missed talking to him this openly. I may not have a boyfriend anymore, but who cares about that? I have a good friend now."

"Oh," he said, sitting back down in his plush chair. He swiveled back and forth contemplatively because he was still confused about something. "So why are you calling me about this?"

"Because Farkle most likely went to Riley's house to tell Riley and Maya about our breakup, and I do not talk to Zay as often as I talk to you. Can't you just be a supportive friend instead of making this about you? Gosh."

Lucas turned back to his desk and leaned on his forearms, grinning. "Okay, now I know you're joking."

"You didn't realize this before? Wow, you really are just a face."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not stupid."

"No, I know you are smarter than Farkle gives you credit for. Anyway, I have to go to sleep now, Lucas. A sharp mind needs rest. Good night."

"Good night, Smackle," he replied, and smiled at his phone even after she hung up.

* * *

 **A/N: I find it really ironic that the day I write the Farkle-Smackle breakup is the day that Corey and Cecilia post freaking adorable pictures of each other.**


	9. Lean on Me

**A/N: So how about that Ski Lodge episode?**

* * *

Chapter Nine: Lean on Me

 _Lean on me when you're not strong._ _I'll be your friend; I'll help you carry on._

"Riley, you've been on your phone non-stop," Zay scolded, picking himself up off of the mat. "You better not be texting Lucas, or so help me - "

"I'm not," she interrupted absentmindedly. "He's too busy comforting Smackle, just like I am with Farkle."

"Why do they need both of your company?" Zay asked, wanting to look over her shoulder, but knowing how rude that was. "Why can't they make it easier and be each other's company so that we can finally get some work done?"

"They broke up," Riley answered simply, and he stared at her with his mouth wide open. He walked up to her like it would change what words came out of her mouth. "What?" said Zay.

She finally faced him, and he caught the sad gleam in her eyes. "You didn't know?"

"Am I the only one who didn't know about this?" he demanded, then stomped his foot. " _Man_ , I'm out of the loop. Like always."

"I'm sure they didn't mean to leave you out," reassured Riley, placing her hand on Zay's shoulder gently. He stiffened, but didn't shake her off. "I think they just didn't want to keep repeating themselves."

"Listen, I think it's sweet of you to try to make me feel better, but it's a little difficult to not take it to heart. I mean, they would tell you and Maya; it's easiest because y'all together at the Bay Window a lot. But why would they tell Lucas and not me? I don't mind being last, but they didn't tell me at all."

Riley figured that being honest would appease Zay, so she said, "Actually, Farkle only told Maya and me, and Smackle only told Lucas. I don't know why they chose who they chose, but it wasn't a group effort to make sure you didn't know."

He sighed. "Okay." Then his brow furrowed, and he asked, "But why would Smackle tell Lucas?"

"To be fair, they probably grew closer over these couple of weeks like we did," replied Riley, finally stretching her muscles. "I think we trust each other more now, considering the deal we made."

Zay nodded and cartwheeled across the room before saying, "Safe haven."

"Speaking of safe haven," Riley said after copying his movements, "is there something you would like to get off of your chest?"

"What do you mean?" he asked as she stepped into the cup he made with his hands. He flung her into the air, and she did a back flip, landing solidly on her feet.

She paused their practice by putting her hand on her hip and looking at him seriously. "Have you always felt left out?"

Zay shrugged and responded, "Yeah. I mean, I've never had any romantic relationships here in New York, and y'all hardly knew Vanessa, so I couldn't talk about her in front of you guys. Not to mention this is the first time I haven't been a third wheel since I joined your group."

"But you knew about Maya's crush on Lucas before anyone else," Riley supplied.

"Yeah, from observation. When she admitted to what I guessed, I was the last to know. You told Lucas in front of Farkle while I was at an ice cream shop with Vanessa."

"Smackle didn't know before you," Riley offered weakly. She knew that was before Smackle was really knitted tightly into the group, but she hoped it would be enough.

"Fine. Second to last, but that was before she went to the same school as us."

Riley stared at him sympathetically. She felt so helpless, so desperate for a way to relieve some of the pain, but there was nothing she could do. Unless... "Do you want to know something I've never told anyone?"

Zay glanced at her momentarily. "You don't have to do this, Riley."

She grinned. "I know. But I want to." Then she plopped down on to the mat, patting the spot next to her. When he sat, she said, "When I met Farkle, I had a tiny, _tiny_ crush on him."

Zay naturally leaned forward, completely interested. "Really?"

"Yep. It was hard not to when he saved my life twice."

"I heard about that," he recalled, laughing. "Girl, you were all kinds of crazy."

She laughed along with him, saying, "I still am."

Zay bumped his shoulder against Riley's. "In the best possible way," he clarified, constantly aware of the insecurities of this seemingly sunshiny girl. After a small lull in the conversation, he asked, "So why didn't you go for it? He obviously liked you."

"He promised to love Maya and me equally," she responded, fixing her shoelace so that the two loops were even. "It felt wrong to start a relationship with him. It was like asking him to choose between us, to love one of us more."

"And you couldn't do that to Maya," Zay concluded.

"Nope," Riley confirmed. "Besides, we were only six, and my crush on him disappeared a few months later."

"And six years later, you met Lucas," said Zay, and he huffed. "What a life you have."

"Yep. I guess God just wanted me to learn something from a triangle."

"And did you?"

Riley nodded. "I learned that friendship is top priority, and no man should change that."

"Well, I wouldn't call Lucas 'a man'..."

She ignored him and said, "We should get back to practicing."

"Yeah," Zay agreed, standing up. "Try-outs start on Monday..."

"You'll do great," Riley reassured, and accepted the hand he proffered.

As she walked to the speaker to play the cheer music, Zay said, "Thanks, Riley."

"You're welcome," she replied while plugging her phone in.

"I mean it," Zay said more firmly. Riley looked at him. "Not just for the confidence boost, but for trusting me, too."

"I know that what you meant, Zay," she said, and rolled her eyes. "You should know by now that I'm always there for my friends."

When Riley smiled, he wondered what would have happened if it were he who moved to New York instead of Lucas. But he quickly shook that idea out of his head and let every frustration he had out in his cheerleading.

. . .

"So, Farkle," said Maya while she blended orange and yellow paint.

"Yeah?" he answered, fingers flying over the screen of his cellphone.

"You wanna watch try-outs next week with me?"

Farkle locked his screen, sat up, and said, "I thought we weren't allowed to."

Maya glanced back with a twitch of her lips before returning her attention to the wall. "Oh, we can't, but I figured out a way to see Lucas."

"Lucas?" Farkle repeated, frowning. "Why him?"

"I know that's a way of bringing the triangle up again," Maya said, rolling her eyes. "But that's not why I chose him. Cheerleading will be inside the gym, and I haven't found a way to see the tennis try-outs."

Farkle tapped his headboard as he asked, "Did you really think about how we could watch it, or did you think I couldn't handle seeing Smackle?"

"I really thought about it," Maya replied honestly. "If it were my choice, I would go see Riley and Zay, but I can't, and I believed you when you said you and Smackle are still friends, so I mapped out a place for us to watch her, but I couldn't find anything."

She paused to take a deep breath to calm herself. With every word, she grew more aggravated, talking faster and faster. Slowly, she said, "So I'm left with Lucas."

Farkle snorted. "You make that option sound like the world is ending."

"It's not awful," Maya said, dragging out the last word. "I just don't want anyone thinking I chose him over my best friend."

"Well, you can always explain yourself like you did just now," Farkle suggested.

"I think my mouth just spit out the shit that goes through my brain," she said, then turned around. She studied his features, and for a second, Farkle thought she was going to paint him when she asked, "If we did go to Smackle's try-outs, would you have been okay with it?"

"Of course," he responded candidly. "I mean, I still like her. A lot. But I like her more when we're against each other."

Maya snickered. "You should have tried out for the girl's tennis team then."

Farkle shook his head emphatically. "If she can beat me in the academic world, she will - "

"Kick your ass in the field?" Maya finished with a smirk.

"That about sums it up."

"If it helps, you're a better tutor than her."

"Thanks, Maya."

"Mostly because she has hardly had the chance to help me."

Farkle slapped a hand to his forehead. "Did you have to add that?"

Maya laughed. "You should know me by now."

. . .

 _Thwap!_

Lucas watched in awe as Smackle hit what would have been another home run if they weren't at a batting center. She had called in the morning and asked if they could play baseball instead of tennis this time, and Lucas, knowing exactly what she needed, agreed.

"I see why baseball is your favorite sport," she said as she came out of the cage.

"Yeah," said Lucas, putting a helmet on his head. "It helps with the anger management issues."

"Ah, yes. Farkle informed me of your personal problems."

Lucas looked up from the bat rack. Smackle's voice expressed no heartbreak from saying her ex-boyfriend's name, and her face remained neutral. He wasn't sure if she was hiding her pain, but she let it out from the spot he would be standing in soon enough, so he simply shut the gate closed and got into position. He developed a technique for hitting the ball at the right moment with the right amount of force, releasing the right amount of fury. He would take a breath, mutter what he wished would get out of his mind, and swing.

 _Breathe_.

"Riley."

 _Swing_.

 _Breathe_.

"Maya."

 _Swing_.

 _Breathe_.

"Triangle."

 _Swing_.

 _Breathe_.

"Me."

 _Swing_.

 _Breathe_.

"Me."

 _Swing_.

 _Breathe_.

"Me."

 _Swing_.

 _Breathe_.

"Me."

 _Swing_.

 _Breathe._

"Me."

 _Swing._

When he ran out of balls to hit, Lucas stumbled out of the cage, so Smackle had to catch him.

"Lucas?" she said solicitously. "Are you all right?"

"I'm sorry," he said breathlessly. "I am so, so sorry."

"For what?"

"I ruined your relationship, just like I almost ruined Maya and Riley's. I'm sorry," Lucas said profusely, and for the first time in his life, he might cry in front of someone. He heaved and heaved, relying on Smackle for support, which made him feel incredibly guilty. He was supposed to support _her_ , and here he was on the verge of tears, desperate for forgiveness.

"You did not ruin anything," Smackle reassured, her tone softening. "You are not as destructive as you view yourself to be. In fact, I see you as the catalyst for growth."

As she spoke, she led them to a bench, and they finally sat, Lucas shaking his head. "No, you don't understand. I break things. I broke my mama's heart when I got expelled from my school back in Texas. I broke Maya's hope when I didn't kiss her. I broke Riley's dream when I dated Maya when she still liked me. I broke - "

"Lucas," Smackle interrupted. "You are just a person. Do not fault yourself for being human."

He dropped his head into his hands and asked, "How is what I do 'being human'?"

"Well, let's see. You know what I admire about you?" she replied. Lucas realized this was a rhetorical question meant to address his own question, so he waited for her to continue. "I admire the way you act on your emotions. That is not something I can do easily."

"And it's probably better that you can't," he mumbled, palms pressing into his eyes.

"Sometimes it is," she admitted, which didn't help him at all. "But your emotions make you a kind, loyal, strong person whom I am glad I met. I think the guilt you carry is worth that. I can only dream of being half the man you are."

"You wanna be a man?" Lucas teased, finally lifting his head.

Smackle rolled her eyes, playfully punching him in the shoulder. "You know what I mean."

"I do. But do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do," she huffed. "I do not lie."

He grinned genuinely. "Thanks, Smackle."

"I was not giving you permission to flirt with me."

Lucas chuckled, shaking his head at the drastic turn of the conversation. "Of course not," he said. "But seriously. You're a good friend, Smackle."

She nodded with a small smile. "Being friends with you all has taught me what being a good friend means. I apologize if I do not thank you enough."

"Well," Lucas said, looking at the ceiling in faux consideration. "That would be nice to hear."

"Okay, do not get carried away," Smackle said, and walked back to the batting cage. She turned around briefly to add, "Buy me dinner first."

He smirked. "We'll see."


	10. Anything Could Happen

**A/N: I'm sick. Help.**

* * *

Chapter Ten: Anything Could Happen

 _After the war we said we'd fight together. I guess we thought that's just what humans do._

Farkle knew Maya was crazy, but he didn't know she was _insane_. When she told him she found a place they could secretly watch Lucas' try-outs, he figured it would be behind bushes or something similar to that inconspicuousness. Instead, he was helping her get to the top of a building sixty feet away from the field. He would never say it out loud in fear of her wrath, but he thought that the tiny blonde's attempt to push herself up was amusing and adorable.

"Come on, Farkle," she said, scrambling to get to level surface. "It's almost time."

He followed her easily, swinging his legs on to the roof. Maya noticed and grumbled, "tall people," as she spread sunscreen over her arms.

"I didn't expect you to put on sunscreen," admitted Farkle before he could stop himself. Then added because he already buried himself six feet under, "I thought you would want to tan."

The feisty blonde gave him a death stare, and he shivered. "First of all, I sunburn instead of tan, so even if I wanted to, it wouldn't happen. And second of all, I could get cancer. I may be reckless, but I'm not suicidal."

Farkle couldn't argue with that logic and realized he was fair skinned as well, so he said, "Pass me the bottle."

Maya tossed him the sunscreen, saying, "You know, out of context, it sounds like we're drinking."

He leaned back, eyebrows furrowing. "I would never. I value my brain cells too much to consume any amount of alcohol."

"Then you and me can be the designated drivers when we get older," she said without any indication of a joke. When he didn't reply, she glanced at him and rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me like that. Just because I'm a rebel doesn't mean I'm gonna be a heavy drinker. After all those nights watching my dad do that, I've sworn off alcohol for good."

There was nothing for Farkle to do other than say sorry to which Maya said, "Don't apologize for thinking that; apologize for not saying it out loud. I never want you to feel like you have to hold yourself back in front of me."

"It's hard not to go too far, though," he said, barely audible.

She smirked at him. "Don't worry, Farks. I'm a strong Amazon warrior. I can handle it." Then she faced forward, eyes shining as she said, "It's starting."

He turned and saw the potential baseball players lined up to bat. Current members stood at different positions on and around the diamond: short stop, center fielder, right fielder, etc. He was confused as to why they looked like they might play an actual game when someone (a small but buff guy) hit the ball far and out and another person went to retrieve it.

 _Oh_ , Farkle thought. _Efficiency_.

The closer Lucas got to the front of the line, the closer Maya got to the edge of the roof, and Farkle was terrified she would fall off. He had a hand ready to catch her and said, "They need to build a fence for you."

"Well, we shouldn't even be up here in the first place," Maya countered, still leaning forward.

"Which only heightens my anxiety," Farkle agreed, and put his hands on her shoulders, gently pulling her back.

"Farkle!" she whined, and he grinned.

"Look," he said, wrapping his arms around her torso when she started to squirm. "It's Lucas's turn."

Maya looked to where he stood in a perfect stance, ready to swing. Her eyes widened, and her mouth subconsciously opened so that it was slightly ajar. She noticed his chest rise then fall right before he swung. The crack echoed for miles, and she beamed, yelling, "Go, Ranger Rick!"

Lucas turned to the sound of his nickname and grinned as he waved. Unfortunately, the coach noticed and followed Lucas' gaze. The coach shouted, "Damn it, kids! GET DOWN FROM THERE!"

When it seemed as though he was going to call someone (maybe an authority figure) to get them off of the roof, Maya and Farkle shuffled to leave the site of the crime. He slid down easily and held her by the waist as she got to level ground.

"Hey! What were you guys doing up there?" demanded an older female voice.

Farkle would have froze if Maya didn't say, "Come on! We have to run."

He did as she instructed, mumbling, "Darn it. Freak Face, you weren't supposed to wave so blatantly."

"Once a Huckleberry, always a Huckleberry," Maya said, laughing.

The doors to the inside of the school were locked, so there was only one way to leave: across the field and out the gates. Maya screamed as she sprinted through the grass, Farkle making strangled noises as he pulled her forward. (He reveled in the fact that he was faster than her, which he had his long legs to be grateful for.)

"Watch out for the ball!" yelled Lucas, and the duo hunched down and covered their heads with their free hands.

They kept running and running until they found themselves deep within the city. Finally free from any threat of suspension, they bent forward, gasping for air. When they caught their breath, Maya said, "Well that was an adventure. Thanks for being my partner in crime."

"Uh-huh," he panted, hand on his abdomen. "I need to exercise more."

"Me, too, but I'm too hungry right now to think about that," Maya said, and saw they were right in front of a diner. She faced her friend with a smirk. "Care to join me for an early dinner?"

He nodded. "Sure. I'll pay."

They entered the building, slipping into the nearest open booth. Maya sunk into the worn red leather cushion, chin resting on her clavicle. Farkle put all his weight on his forearms as he leaned against the wooden table and laughed. "That seems extremely uncomfortable," he told her with mocking sympathy.

"It's actually not," she said, not moving an inch. "You should try it."

He sat back, relinquishing all control over his muscles, and felt himself become engulfed into the seat. "Gah, this doesn't feel good at all."

Maya flipped her hand downward. "Opinions, opinions."

Despite the fact it was hard to hold the menu up, they skimmed through the pages that way. When a waiter came, Farkle straightened, but Maya stayed in her position. The man still gave a charming smile and said, "Hello, my name is Chad, and I'll be your waiter for the evening. What can I get you started with?"

"I'll have a rack of ribs please," answered Farkle. "And a glass of water."

"Are you sure about that, Farks?" Maya inquired, pursing her lips. "You know what happens with you and ribs."

"I'm sure," he reassured, but his crazed smile told a different story.

"Okay...," Maya said anyway. "I'll have a steak, fries, and a milkshake."

"All right," said Chad. "So we have water and ribs for the questionable man - "

"Hey, I'm the one tipping,"

" - and the milkshake, steak, and fries for the lovely lady."

Maya giggled and bit her lip. "Yeah, you're right."

"She's only fourteen," Farkle complained. "Move along!"

"Farkle!" she objected.

Chad chuckled. "It's okay," he said, then gathered the menus and left to put their order in.

"He meant nothing by that comment," Maya muttered, crossing her arms.

"Then why did you become a giggling mess?"

"I was _laughing_ because he called me a 'lady.' I may be a lot of things, but a lady ain't one of them."

Farkle frowned. "I see you as a lady."

"Well that's because to you, a lady is a female. To me, a lady is elegant, proper, mature, and I'm dressed in torn skinny jeans and a shirt covered in paint, and we just ran away from trouble _I_ got us into."

"I had fun, though."

Maya smirked. "I'm glad you did, but that doesn't make me think I'm a lady."

Farkle smiled. "It wasn't supposed to," he said, and Chad came back with his water, Farkle thanking him as he gave Maya her milkshake.

"So you agree I'm not?" she asked, and sipped from her drink. "Thank you," she said to Chad offhandedly.

"No problem," he answered. "Your meal will be out in about fifteen more minutes."

Farkle nodded to him, then brought his attention back to Maya. "I think you're Maya Penelope Hart. My little moon."

She bit her straw. "Stop calling me that."

"Penelope or my little moon?"

"The latter," she replied, spinning the straw between her thumb and index finger.

"I thought you would have said both," he admitted. "Since when have you been fine with 'Penelope'?"

"Starting this year, I've decided to embrace who I am," she answered.

"That explains why you've returned to dark clothes and leather jackets."

Maya shrugged. "Pretty much."

The sun began to set outside, and the two friends watched as the sky turned to a deep orange. They both sighed, Farkle quietly and Maya bitterly.

He frowned. "What's the matter?"

"I hate that color," she grumbled, abusing the straw with her teeth.

"Why?"

Maya hesitated in her response, and before she spoke, she shifted so that she curled into herself. "When I was a kid, my hope was at its highest during this time of day. I thought my momma would be coming home from work, so I waited and waited by the window. But as soon as the stars came out, I knew I probably wouldn't even be awake by the time she came home."

Farkle rubbed his forehead in an attempt to smooth out the wrinkles formed by the blonde's words and sighed again. "Why have I not known about this?"

Maya finally released her murderous hold on her straw and pushed the cup aside. "Because I never told anyone before. I always told them hope was for suckers."

Farkle's eyebrows rose on his head while she traced little doodles on to the table. When he thought she drew a sharp "x," he took her hand and laced their fingers together. She didn't seem surprised, just looked up into his eyes, and he smiled gently. They stayed like that until Chad arrived with their food.

"Enjoy your meal," he said, ignoring their intimacy, and left them again.

The two friends dug into their food, starving after their long day. After around a half hour, Maya gazed mischievously at her fries, then at Farkle, and said, "Watch this."

She grabbed a fry, let it fly in the air, and caught it in her mouth, smiling with it the way most people did with orange slices.

Farkle laughed. "I wanna try," he said, and Maya threw a fry at him. It grazed his lip, so he demanded, "Again."

She did as he told her to, and after the fifth time he missed, she cackled and said, "Stop wasting my fries."

"Just one last time," he begged. When she didn't budge, he pouted and added, "Please."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Everything that happened next was in slow motion. Maya launched the fry; Farkle opened his mouth; Maya shouted, "Now!" Farkle closed his mouth...

And swallowed the fry whole.

He began coughing, and Maya quickly slid to his side of the booth and patted his back, handing him his glass of water. When he could breathe again, he said with wide, bright eyes, "Did you see that? I did it!"

Maya laughed breathlessly. Fuck, the genius worried her. "Yeah, you did," she said, and went back to her steak. In the midst of chewing, she added, "Don't do it again."

"What?" Farkle said, and Maya found the sauce on his face endearing.

"You kinda scared the shit out of me."

Farkle knew that despite the nonchalant way she sat, Maya was still reeling from her panic, so he said firmly, "I'm not going to leave you, Maya. Not now, not ever."

She slowly wiped her mouth and reclined in her seat, getting as far away from him as possible. She didn't believe him; she didn't believe anything she wanted to hear. "You can't promise me that," she said quietly. "You can't make any promises to me."

"And why not?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I'm not accusing you of being a liar, if that's what you're thinking. Usually people mean what they say. People just change their minds."

"Maya...," Farkle said softly, and engulfed her hand with his again. "I'm not going anywhere. Maybe I haven't told you that enough, and I should tell you more, but that doesn't mean I don't plan on keeping that promise."

If it were anyone other than Farkle (or Riley), Maya would have simply brushed off what he said and moved on with her life, pretending she was okay. Instead she sniffled and brushed away tears that threatened to fall out of her damn eye sockets where they belonged. "Just know if I believe you, I'm gonna get pissed if you ever walk out on me."

He grinned. "I know."

"Good," she said, and brought her napkin to his lips.

As Maya cleaned Farkle's face, something inside them shifted. They would neither tell you what it was, nor would they admit to it because they hadn't realized it themselves yet.

But when Maya did, all hell broke loose.


	11. Because You Loved Me

**A/N: I would be the suckiest of the suckiest cheerleaders, but at least I've got mad rhyming skills.**

 **Also, please excuse all the excessive hyphens in the previous chapters. Autocorrect makes me doubt my spelling ._.**

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Because You Loved Me

 _You gave me faith 'cause you believed I'm everything I am._

"Ready? Okay!"

Being in cheer put a permanent grin on Riley's face. All the positive vibes just made her incredibly delighted to be alive. One glance at Zay, and she knew he felt the same way.

She wish she knew him earlier in her life because then she wouldn't have had to drag Maya along with her to every tryout. Maya couldn't stand many rainbows and unicorns in one room; they seemed to drain her energy, making more for themselves.

Riley, on the other hand, burst into life when she was with other cheerleaders. Their company also made her feel like she belonged somewhere. Of course, that didn't mean she didn't love Maya. She did, but sometimes she felt like she annoyed the blonde with all her optimism.

During the break, Zay seemed especially eager and hyper. He danced around the gym and did countless cartwheels and flips. Riley laughed and teased, "This doesn't give you extra points, Zay."

"It doesn't hurt to try," he said, shrugging.

Riley thought about that and figured it was true, so she joined him. She cartwheeled to him, and before she landed on her feet, he caught her by the waist so that when she sat up, she rested on his shoulder. Riley held her arm up in a wide "v," and Zay raised his free arm high into the air. Then Riley turned so that her back faced the other candidates, and Zay launched her into a backflip. Once her feet touched the mat, they somersaulted to the bleachers where everyone else was still catching their breath, and they laughed breathlessly.

The coach stood in front of them, smiling while they lied on the floor. "That was quite a performance you put out there. Extra points for enthusiasm."

When she walked away, Riley rolled on to her side and grabbed Zay's arm. "Did you hear that?" she exclaimed, and he heard the couch chuckle. "We're totally going to make the team!"

Riley had an iron grasp, but Zay didn't really care. He loved her excitement, loved the way it spread to everyone she came in contact with. "I thought you already said that," he noted.

"Yes, but it wasn't a hundred percent guaranteed," she said, bouncing on her heels.

"And it is now?"

"No, but it's close enough to make me a hundred percent confident."

"Ladies and Zay, line up!" the coach shouted. "We're about to start again."

"I'm so flattered she remembers my name," said Zay, and wiped away pretend tears. "It makes up for the time I could have been using to drink water.

As everyone stood with their hands behind their backs, Riley asked Zay as quietly as she could, "Do you think she remembers mine?"

"Girl, it's hard to forget someone like you," he replied, glancing at her with a grin. "Nearly impossible - no, take that back. It _is_ impossible."

Riley beamed. "Thanks, Zay. I could never forget you, too."

. . .

After Tuesday's baseball tryouts ended, Lucas walked alone out the front doors of Abigail Adams High School. Maya and Farkle weren't watching today, but he couldn't blame them. After all, he did get them in trouble. He tried to apologize, but they said it was fine because it was fun running away. Lucas never thought he would ever see the day Farkle would admit that he liked running, but the broad smile painted on his features said that he meant it.

On the bottom step, Lucas saw a familiar short girl with jet black hair. Instead of going to the train station like he originally planned, he sat next to her, dropping his giant bag in front of his feet. "Hey, Smackle," he greeted, and the athletic intellect turned to him.

"Salutations, Lucas," she said. "How were tryouts today?"

"They were all right," he responded humbly. "There's a fifty-fifty chance I'll make JV. How about you?"

"The coach said between him and me, I have an eighty percent chance of making Junior Varsity," she replied with a small smile.

"That's great!" Lucas exclaimed. He wondered if she would tease him about his glee for her success, but she seemed in too good of a mood to bother. Before she could, though, he asked, "So are you waiting for your ride?"

"Yes," she answered, then leaned forward. "My father should be here soon."

"I'll wait with you then," he said, and rested his elbows on his knees.

"No, no, Lucas," Smackle argued, looking back at him. "You should go home. I do not wish to be the cause of your parents' concern."

He took his cell phone out of his back pocket and shot a text to his mama, telling her that he might be late. Two minutes later (his mama texted slowly), she replied, "Okay, thank you for letting me know." He showed Smackle her response and said, "See? Don't worry about it. It's okay."

"Why do you yearn to stay with me?" she asked, ignoring his reassurance.

"It's dark, and I get paranoid that kidnappers, assassins, or any other types of criminals choose this time to attack," he answered, and looked to his left and right for melodramatic emphasis.

"Well, they do."

"Thanks for that confirmation."

"You are very welcome."

" _Anyway_ ," Lucas continued, smiling mostly to himself. "If someone tries to come after you, I figured I could, you know, go all Texas Lucas on that person."

"When will you understand that we will never be a couple?" she questioned, though she was laughing.

He paused in exasperation. "I'm being serious, Smackle."

"Okay, okay," she said, defensive. "Thank you, Lucas, for your effort and protection."

"I haven't even done anything yet."

"Oh my, what if _you_ are the creepy creep creep?"

He sighed. "I'm pretty sure I would have carried you away by now."

"Bridal style sounds splendid."

"Yeah, I would hold you like a sack of potatoes."

"How rude of you."

"You're welcome."

After a couple of minutes in which Smackle kept stirring, she finally adjusted so that she was completely facing him and said, "Lucas?"

He mirrored her posture and replied, "Yes?" He could _feel_ her anxiety; it was that palpable.

"Are you concerned that you will not be accepted in to the Junior Varsity team?" she asked, and bit her bottom lip.

"Not really," he admitted, shrugging.

"May I inquire to listen to your reasoning?"

"Because as long as I'm doing what I love to do, I'll be happy no matter where I am," he answered, and raised a brow in a jocular manner. "Do you not love tennis, Smackle?"

"Of course I do," she huffed, and Lucas grinned. "I do not do anything I am not fully committed to, which reminds me of my guilt from my absence in debate and STEM club. But that is besides the point. I simply have high expectations of myself, not that I am saying you do not. It is only that - "

"You know you're capable of more?" he interrupted, wanting her to stop and just _breathe_. She nodded emphatically, and he laughed. "I never would have expected you to have any doubt of where you're gonna end up. Of course you can get into JV. Maybe not this year, but you're just a freshman. You have three more chances, and knowing you, you'll eventually join varsity. Just keep being yourself, Izzy, and you'll get there."

"Do you really believe that?" she asked, twisting her fingers in her lap.

Lucas took her hands into his own, which effectively stopped her fidgeting. "I don't lie."

They smiled at each other, and Smackle said, "I would joke about how you are holding my hands, but because we are having a sentimental moment, I will withhold that statement."

He shook his head, chuckling. _She just can't help herself, can she,_ he thought, and said aloud, "Thanks, Smackle."

"You are welcome," she replied. "By the way, do not think that you got away with it."

He frowned, completely oblivious to what she was talking about. "Got away with what?"

"Calling me Izzy."

He was about to explain himself when a car honked. She turned around, slipped one hand out of Lucas's, and said, "That is my father. It was nice talking to you, Lucas. I look forward to our other conversations as we wait for me to get picked up."

"There are going to be other times?" he asked, mockingly appalled.

"Indeed," she answered with a smirk from the car, and closed the door, marking her exit.

When she left, Lucas rubbed his hands together to make up for lost warmth. He breathed into his palms and mumbled to himself so that only he could know the truth that he would deny to anyone else.

"I can't wait."


	12. Say You Like Me

**A/N: To Guest, thank you so much! Your excitement for this story makes me so happy, something I value very much.**

 **To Ersy, I love your love for Zay/Riley~ You're just as adorable as her :3**

 **Oh my stars, I realized how much I butchered Smackle in the last chapter, so if you are interested, I revised her dialogue heh heh...**

 **For the sake of this chapter, the ellipsis (...) represents the same day, and the line represents a new day.**

 **Also in this chapter: something from _Hunger Games_ I couldn't resist adding. Sorry not sorry.**

 **Speaking of chapters, just four more for this story, and we're done! I've never written anything so quickly, but here I am, and I hope you enjoyed this ride as much as I have :)**

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Say You Like Me

 _If you like me, then say you like me._

The first lunch after tryouts were over, the four friends were even more anxious than they were during the week of tryouts. That was probably why they were completely unfocused when Maya and Farkle talked about their time away from everyone else.

"I dominated in debate," the tiny blonde announced with a proud smirk. "I even beat Mr. Genius here."

"Next time, I'm gonna win, though," Farkle declared. "You better watch out because the F-bomb is dropping."

"Fuck?" she asked, snickering.

"Yes, fear me," he said, and cackled maniacally.

"You're insane," said Maya who then started laughing, and together, they made such boisterous noises that people began to stare in curiosity and bewilderment. Of course, neither they nor their tense friends noticed, so they went on until they remembered another thing that happened the previous week.

"So I went to a STEM club meeting," Maya admitted. "And it's actually pretty cool."

Everyone (excluding Farkle) around the table dropped their lunch. That caught the entire clique six's attention because the sentence uttered rested at the top of a list named Things Maya Penelope Hart Would Never Say, and she said it. She really, truly, no bullshit, said it.

"You joined STEM?" asked Riley, attempting to keep a nice, even tone. She still squeaked at the end.

The Amazon Warrior blinked. She told them many crazy adventures she had surrounding the central idea of going to Farkle's clubs, so why were they so surprised now? "Yes...," she replied slowly.

"And you thought it was cool," Lucas said, looking at her like she was from another planet.

"Yep."

"Girl, listen to yourself," said Zay, leaning across Riley to grab her shoulders. "Who are you?"

She frowned and answered, "What's wrong with who I am now?"

Riley gently placed her hand on Maya's shoulder. "We just don't want you to lose yourself, Maya. We love you."

"Lose myself?" Maya asked, quirking a brow. "I climbed the building on the far right of the left wing with Farkle last Monday to watch Lucas during his tryout."

"I can vouch for that," said Farkle. "After running four point eight six miles to get away from a school supervisor, it's hard not to believe her."

"Yeah, guys. I mean, having an interest in school is a change, but I'm still me. I'm just growing up. I can't go through life being a hundred percent rebel because then what will that get me? Nothing. But getting an education will help me go places. My momma didn't have that. I want to have options and make her proud to call me her baby girl."

Smackle tilted her head to the left (or in Maya's point-of-view, the right). "I recall you claiming you wished to become an artist. Was I uninformed of your change of heart?"

"I do wanna become an artist," Maya confirmed. "But it's a hard business, and I might need connections. If I get into a top-notch art school, I could impress some people, and my chances of becoming a professional are greater. At least, that's what I think, and it doesn't hurt to learn. Other than the headaches I get sometimes."

Riley tugged her backpack onto her lap and dug through the small pocket. She pulled out a tiny blue container and asked, "Aleve?"

Maya waved her off. "No thanks. I'm okay right now."

"So are we on the same page?" asked Farkle. "Maya being serious about school is a good thing, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Lucas replied, rolling his apple in his hand to find a part he hadn't eaten yet.

"We were just shocked, ya know?" Zay added, then reached across Smackle to swat the core out of Lucas' grasp. "Man, there ain't nothin' left of that apple. Give it up."

Lucas picked it back up, stared directly into his best friend's eyes, and broke the core in half, eating the seeds. Maya laughed as Zay watched in horror, and Riley said, "Well that's gross."

"I propose we scare him into believing that if he swallows the seeds," Smackle began, "apples will grow in his stomach."

"I'm too old to believe that," Lucas countered, finally dropping the remains of his fruit.

"We need to sprinkle pixie dust on the cowboy," Maya suggested. "Friends, trust, and pixie dust put together should work."

"Maya, that's if you want to fly," Riley said. "But if he does fly, he could believe anything..."

"We should change the phrase from 'when pigs fly' to 'when Lucas flies,' Farkle said, looking at the ceiling and nodding as if it agreed with him.

Zay raised his arm. "I second that."

"Oh, man," Lucas muttered. "Is that gonna stick?"

"I'm already making T-shirts," said Maya. "Do you think you could pay for them, Farks?"

"Anything for my little moon," he answered with a glint in his eyes. "Do you want me to add 'Lucas the Good' shirts to the order?"

"Would I ever."

"Oh, God, please help me."

"This is forever, Huckleberry. Get used to it."

Lucas pursed his lips in response, but it transformed into a smirk when he remembered something he heard merely few seconds ago. "Little moon?"

"Farkle...," Maya growled.

"It came out it came out it just came out."

* * *

At the end of yesterday, the baseball coach found Lucas, pulled him aside, and gave him a pat on the back, saying he was going places. Lucas was rather sure that the coach violated an unspoken rule of avoiding favoritism, but he was too damn happy to care. He felt completely relieved that during the entire day, he could focus on every little detail in every lesson, person, and interaction.

That was how when lunch rolled around, he noticed the group's new dynamic. Instead of the tension that sprouted from the triangle, the clique six seemed to have partnered up with no interferences. Zay and Riley babbled about cheer and stuffed animals and a bunch of random topics that even in his clear state of mind, Lucas couldn't process. Maya and Farkle had inside jokes that no one could understand and appeared as if they could rule the world together (which was now Lucas' greatest fear). And he and Smackle...well, one look at her, and he knew he liked her. It wasn't bluh-ya-la-loo, but he could reach that point. It was in the way his features relaxed whenever he was around her, the way that feeling juxtaposed the racing of his heart when she gazed into his eyes. It was as if he were floating, a reassurance that he would neither drown nor hit the ground at thousands of miles per hour.

Smackle caught Lucas staring at her, and he stiffened, expecting a backlash of her saying they wouldn't work out. Most times, he liked her jokes, but he was vulnerable at the moment. He needed to believe he wasn't just dreaming.

So he grinned when she smiled and lightly punched him on the shoulder.

* * *

In math, Lucas brought up his observations to Maya. Questions piled up inside of her, and she didn't know which one to ask first. She went with "You like Smackle?"

"Yeah," he replied with a grin. "Crazy, right? I spent all those months denying her accusations, and here I am." He laughed, shaking his head.

"I'm glad you found someone, Sundance," Maya said, and went to the next problem in the textbook. "You deserve it."

"Same goes for you," Lucas reciprocated, and decided that would be the end of the conversation, but then Maya dropped her pencil and said, "Huh?"

"You like Farkle, don't you?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

She totally forgot about her list of questions, that being in the top three. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, you were sitting awfully close to him during lunch."

Maya bumped her shoulder against Lucas's. "And I'm sitting close to you right now. That doesn't mean anything."

He rolled his eyes and said, "That's because I'm big and this desk is too tiny to fit two people."

"Whatever," she snapped, suddenly losing her cool, and she scooted away from him as much as possible. "I don't like Farkle. He's just a good friend whom I've known since I was six."

Lucas wanted to prevent her from building a wall between them, but he knew she would run faster and farther if he tried. "You can't keep hiding these feelings, especially to yourself, Maya. It'll only make it harder for you."

She glared at him, conveying the extent of her desire to strangle him. "Look, just because you like someone who has been flirting with you since day one doesn't mean you have a right to play match maker. I finally got over you, and you want me to go through that shit again? What the fuck, Lucas. You're supposed to be a nice guy."

He flinched when she called him by his actual name. Nothing she said ever really got to him except for when she said his name. It was like she was Atropos, ready to cut the thread whenever "Lucas" came out of her mouth in venom. He whispered, "I only want you to be happy."

Maya buried her face into her palms, biting back a scream, and sighed. "I know, I know. I'm sorry." She looked at him as she said, "I really am. You're a good guy, Ranger Rick, but I don't think you're right. And you can say I just don't want to believe you, but that's not it. I swear that's not it."

Lucas noticed towards the end of her monologue, she sounded like she was trying to convince herself. But he didn't tell her that. He only watched her with an expression she couldn't read, and it brought their discussion to a close.

For now.

. . .

During lunch, everything was practically how it was the day before. The partners were still partners, only two of them were aware that it wasn't as innocent as it appeared. Maya observed her friends around the table as she spoke to Farkle and realized what Lucas said was true. Riley and Zay talked to each other animatedly, but they were hunched together like they shared a secret nobody else knew about. Smackle smirked at Lucas who stared at the sassy, smart girl like she had the power to change his whole world (which was possible, considering she was someone he could fall for without getting into another mess; maybe he could love her in a way he couldn't love the other two girls).

Then Maya took a good look at her and Farkle. The entire right side of her body touched his left, and every place of contact burst into life as if awakened by something warm and familiar. Inside her chest, her heart beat rapidly, yet somehow, she was a lightweight.

But Maya didn't want to fly. She doubted her ability to control her wings. She skillfully adjusted away from Farkle, her skin immediately growing goosebumps from the loss of heat, and if she wasn't laughing as she did so, he most likely would have noticed.

But he didn't.

And she felt so...so...

Heavy.

* * *

Lucas put his pencil down and turned to Maya, cornering her by giving her all of his attention. "Are you still mad at me?"

She continued writing down her answer for the math homework and gave a terse response. "No. Why?"

"Because you're really quiet, and I feel somewhat threatened," he admitted, and wiped his hands on his jeans.

"No need to contain me, Lucas," Maya said, flipping her notebook over. "I'm focused only on getting a head start on my homework. Nothing more, nothing less."

He frowned. "Did you just call me Lucas?"

Maya finally dropped her pencil and looked at him blankly, which sent a shiver down his spine. Without any inflection, she reminded him, "I've always known your name. Do you prefer Huckleberry? Because I will call you that if you want me to." She didn't wait for his response and pushed forward. "Listen to me very carefully, _Huckleberry_. I told you I would like to finish my homework now so that I don't have to do it at home. Do you think you could let me?"

He took a deep breath and thought, _I'm going to regret doing this._ "No."

Maya was definitely surprised. "What?"

"We have to talk about whatever is making you so hostile."

She began to cower because once people shunned her attempt to scare them off, she has no other barrier to push them away. "I - I don't know what you're talking about."

Lucas leaned forward, causing her to shrink more. "Yes, you do, Maya."

"No, I don't."

"Maya."

"Cowboy."

" _Maya_."

She sighed, brushing a hand roughly through her hair. "Fine! Maybe you're right, okay? Are you happy now?"

He closed his eyes and sunk his head low. "I never am if you aren't."

"Well that's too bad for you, isn't it?" she spat, gathering her supplies as the time to leave neared. "Because I can't be happy knowing all I am and ever will be is a second choice, and that's only if I'm considered an option."

The bell rang, and Maya ran away from Lucas faster than he ran away from Tombstone the Bull, ensuring she had the last word.

. . .

However, Lucas wouldn't let Maya have the last word because, well, he was just as stubborn as she. After history, he chased her down to Mr. Jackson's class where she got out rough, thick paintbrushes and dark, dead colors. As soon as he was in front of the door, she spoke with a voice as sharp as the grass at Pappy Joe's farm. "Get out of my safe place."

As afraid as he was, he took the final step he needed to take to be inside the room. "No," he declared. (Boy, was he feeling defiant today.)

She groaned, splattering paint across the canvas furiously. "Why do you have to be so difficult? Why can't you just be the guy people voted Most Likely to be Okay with Anything?"

He stood exactly to her left now. "Because that's not who I am, and you know it."

"I wish I were wrong."

"Maya, stop putting your guard up and just be honest with me. Please."

"Honest?" she scoffed. "Heehaw, I don't do honest. I do blunt."

"Then without filter," he said, "tell me why you think you're always the second choice."

Those words had stuck with him since she spoke them, and he hated how he couldn't talk to her about it earlier because other people were around. But he would get his answer now, while they were alone, and although gut feeling told him he wouldn't like it, he asked the question anyway.

"Is it because of me?"

Her lack of response was enough for him to conclude that he was, indeed, at fault. And that made him want to physically beat himself up. Because no matter who they ended up with, Maya Penelope Hart would always be Lucas Friar's Blonde Beauty.

He disliked interrupting Maya while she was in her artist mode, but he figured he could make an exception. He reached out and grabbed her chin to make her look at him, and when she darted her eyes in every direction but at him, he said, "If you don't look into my eyes, I'm going to do what I did at the campfire."

Her fidgeting halted, and he said, "Good. Now listen to me, _Shortstack_." Maya bristled at the nickname but didn't argue. "You have never been or ever will be a second choice. Yes, I liked Riley first, but I didn't like you just because she suddenly claimed she didn't have a crush on me anymore. I liked you because I laugh every time you call me Huckleberry or hahurr in my face. I liked you because sometimes talking to you is so simple, and I don't have to think about how to avoid it being awkward. I liked you because you pushed Riley into my lap because that's just the kind of person you are. You're beautiful inside and out, not just from a friend's point-of-view, but from anyone's point-of-view."

Maya gasped, apparently having held her breath throughout Lucas' speech. Her voice broke as she admitted, "I'm terrified he won't feel the same way." She shook her head frantically. "I don't think I could add anyone else to the list."

Lucas let go of her chin, tucked her hair behind her ear, and said softly, "It's okay to feel frightened."

Gazing up into his eyes, Maya felt brave enough to confess something that wasn't breaking news, but it was enough of a challenge to make her feel accomplished: "I'm not completely over you yet."

Lucas chuckled, touching his forehead to hers. "I'm not completely over you yet, either."

Then, because she was lonely, she asked, "Can you keep me company?"

He shut his eyes, his smile still visible and gentle, and replied, "Always."


	13. One

**A/N: So I said I wasn't going to write anymore, and I meant it. But I remembered how much it freaking sucks for an author to randomly stop writing a story, and I promised I would never do that. So I'm going to keep fighting these emotions and finish what I started. But I warn you: the rest is probably going to be, well, crappity crap crap, especially because I'm kinda scared to proofread. Thank you for bearing with me. Most of all, thank you to you all who have showered me in such precious comments.**

Chapter Thirteen: One

 _And you know, everything changes, but we'll be strangers if we see this through._

* * *

Their attempts to be sneaky failed. Maya was a master of surreptitious glances, and she knew when people were looking at her from the corner of their eyes. And she knew it had to do with a certain cowboy sitting on her right instead of Farkle.

Maya wasn't worried, though. She knew how to throw people off her scent. After all, she had experience from evading questions about her dad. So she put on her signature smirk no one could see through and said, "Wanna make a bet, Farkle?"

He frowned. "A bet?" he repeated

"Yeah," Maya confirmed, swiping a French fry from Lucas' plate. "I bet I can go longer without talking to you."

As she spread ketchup over her fry, Farkle's frown deepened, and he asked, "Why would you develop this plan?

Maya pointed her fry at him, and a drop of ketchup fell onto the table. "We've been competing for the past couple of weeks, but the pride I get after winning never lasts, which sucks because I'm finally getting shit done. So I thought this would be the ultimate game. At least, I think it's hard to ignore someone you've been close to since the first grade."

Lucas glanced at Maya from the corner of his eye, wondering if she really was okay with her decision. She seemed fine, but then the corner of her lip twitched, and and in that moment, he knew he had to talk to her. Now just wasn't the best time.

Maya stopped eating so that she could hide her shaking hand and said, "C'mon, Farks. What have you got to lose?"

Farkle looked down at his hands, and even Maya realized what a stupid question that was. Obviously he would either lose the game or lose her. But she wasn't backing down. No, this was necessary for not only her sake, but for his, too.

Farkle shook his head, and for a moment, Maya was scared he was refusing her proposition. But then he sighs and says, "Fine."

Maya pinched her thigh hard enough to leave a bruise, but she managed to keep the smile on her face as she said, "Great."

. . .

After school at Topanga's, the clique six saw flashes of post-Texas and pre-New Year's surge through the group's dynamic. Maya and Lucas were inseparable, and Riley was silently suffering, doing her homework while watching the pair from her peripheral view. Lucas would help Maya with a math problem, Riley would scribble furiously, and the other three would just feel downright uncomfortable. It seemed as though everyone but the pretty brunette knew that the blonde beauty was running from herself.

When the clock struck seven, an eternity of tension was over, and everyone but Riley and Zay left. Riley scratched the remaining pink nail polish off of her fingernails, and as she mumbled to herself, Zay scooted closer to her. "What's the matter, sugar?" he asked.

Riley sighed and dropped her hands, but still stared at her lap as she replied, "Do you think Maya is keeping a secret from me?" When Zay didn't answer, she looked directly into his eyes. "Please tell me the truth, Zay," she begged. "I really need to know."

Zay frowned, unsure of how to answer. He wasn't going to lie, but he didn't want to hurt the ball of sunshine either. He decided a one-word response was the best way to go. "Yes."

Riley shattered, and though he felt guilty, Zay wasn't going to take back what he said. He respected the girl too much. "Do you…," said Riley. "Do you think she doesn't trust me anymore?"

"That ain't it," Zay affirmed quickly. "I think she just doesn't know what to say." He looked at Riley gently, debating whether he should hold her hand to shake her out of her dismay. "You get that, don't you?"

Riley nodded and pressed her hand deep into her cheeks. "I do. I just…" She sighed. "It's just never been this hard."

Zay chuckled. "I'm sure it was harder when Farkle blurted out that you still love Lucas."

When Zay realized what he said might still be true, a flash of pain struck his heart. He always felt this way when he talked to Riley about Lucas, but the more time he spent with her, the less real the connection between his two best friends seemed. However, now that Riley's crush was confirmed again, Zay's loneliness returned, and he glanced frantically at her from the corner of his eye. What he would give for another day to believe they had something special.

Unaware of what Zay was thinking, Riley just laughed. "I guess that's true," she said, then smiled genuinely. "You're a great friend, Zay."

He pulled Riley closer and replied, "Thanks, sugar. You are, too."

As Riley rested her head on Zay's shoulder, her heart beat faster, and her thoughts felt like honey, growing sweeter and sweeter the more she imagined the grin on the boy who may be even kinder than she was. Then, all at once, her thoughts became clear as water.

Zay was more than just a friend.

. . .

"Smackle," said Lucas. "You don't have to walk me home. I'm a big boy; I can take care of myself. Besides, shouldn't I be the one to walk you home?"

"On the contrary," said Smackle, glaring at him. "I refuse to abide to the rules that women must be accompanied by men in order to be safe. Even if there is scientific evidence that proves men are superior in strength, I have techniques that will surely stop any robber from trying to steal from me or any harasser from 'having his way with me.'" She walked ahead of Lucas and faced him, grinning dangerously. "Would you like to see them?"

Lucas gulped. "No, thank you, ma'am."

"I thought not," Smackle said, then turned around and slowed her pace to match the boy's. "By the way, Lucas," she continued. He turned to her with a quirked brow, but didn't say anything. "You should really explain to Riley what's going on."

"Huh?" Lucas questioned, a crease forming between his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

Smackle shook her head at his obliviousness and clarified, "Riley thinks that you and Maya have, as you say, a 'thing' when it is obvious Maya likes Farkle."

Lucas stopped in his tracks. "Wait—you know Maya likes Farkle?"

Smackle turned to Lucas so that she was standing directly in front of him. "Of course I do. And I am as positive as a proton that Farkle's intuition knows, too. He just understands an explicit confession better."

"Wait, wait," said Lucas, rubbing his temples. "What do you mean that of course you know?"

When Smackle didn't respond, Lucas opened his eyes and found her staring at him silently. He wondered if she was trying to telepathically tell him he was an idiot before she replied, "Our relationship changed, too."

Before Lucas could decide what Smackle meant by that, she started walking away, and he watched for a minute, dumbstruck. Then realizing she wasn't going to stop, he called out, "Hey! Wait! Do you even know where my house is?"

"No, I do not," Smackle called back. "So I am going home now."

Lucas groaned, but smiled anyway. "Let me accompany you."

Smackle paused, and for a moment, Lucas wondered if he really made her angry. But then she said, "Suit yourself."

And Lucas soared.


End file.
